National Historical Park National Park Service Chaco Culture U.S. Department of the Interior

HUNGO PAVI Hungo Pavi is one of the few Chacoan buildings to remain unexcavated and undisturbed. When the Chacoans migrated away in the A.D. 1200s, forces of nature slowly collapsed the roofs and upper walls. Centuries of windblown sand covered the building and native grasses and shrubs grew on top, leaving the upper walls protruding from the mounded site to indicate its former glory.

The building looked similar when Navajo people occupied the canyon several hundred years ago, as well as when U.S. military expeditions encountered the site in 1849. In that year, the Washington Expedition, a military reconnaissance, surveyed Navajo lands and wrote accounts of Chacoan sites. A Mexican guide with the expedition (Carravahal), named the site, although its meaning is now lost.

GREAT HOUSES Archeologists call diverse peoples under a shared Hungo Pavi a “great culture and vision. house,” one of a dozen monumental Great houses are thought to be buildings built in this public buildings with small resi- canyon during the dent populations. These buildings extraordinary period would have hosted pilgrims who of Chacoan culture came to Chaco to attend cere- that dominated the monies, trading events, and public region between A.D. gatherings. They were religious 850 and 1150. Chaco and public centers for nearby was the heart of the communities, and over 150 distant world that united many communities.

1 THE TRAIL The trail–less than a ⁄4-mile in people. We want all visitors to length will fork as you approach continue to have the freedom to the fallen walls. Go to the right visit this and other sites, and to and stand at the top of the rise explore them on their own, but (west wing) for a view of the we can only do this with your building. From this point, you help. We need every visitor to be W i n g

W i n g can see the typical great house especially careful to protect the e s t Plaza W

E a s t ground plan–a D-shaped building ancient masonry, wood, plaster, enclosing a plaza. Fajada Butte is pottery pieces, and petroglyphs. Great Kiva in the distance. Thanks for helping kept the expe- rience unique and special for all Please help us protect this visitors. fragile connection to the Chacoan Site plan and walking trail

THE PLAZA AND Walk down the trail into the open The Chacoans often placed great plaza. Plazas are important sacred kivas in great house plazas. Like GREAT KIVA places in modern pueblos where modern kivas, they would have public ceremonies, trading events, accommodated hundreds of and daily activities occur. Note people from surrounding the large circular depression to communities and the region the right–a great kiva (large round during times of ceremonies and ceremonial chamber), covered by public gatherings. Excavated great centuries of windblown sand, kivas can be seen at Pueblo native shrubs, and grasses. Bonito, Chetro Ketl, and Casa Rinconada. Great Kiva

6/2005 Printed with funds donated by Western National Parks Association 100% Recycled Paper

CHACOAN KIVAS Continue down the trail to the by men and women for religious center of the plaza until you see worship, preparation, dance, an exposed doorway on prayer vigils, and public gather- your left that enters a single ings. story room. Behind this room is a typical Chacoan Further up the trail, near the top feature—an elevated of the next rise (east wing), you kiva—round rooms built can see the interior of a second into an above-ground story room. The large round holes square enclosure. Kivas had in the back wall are where large Kiva cross section flat roofs with small hatches for roofing beams were placed. The access, and people descended lad- small holes supported smaller ders into the interior. In modern timbers and the completed roofs. Puebloan cultures, kivas are used

SITE CONSTRUCTION The people began construction and mixed clay and sand for the on Hungo Pavi in the A.D. 1000s, mortar. when Chacoan culture was flour- ishing, and Pueblo Bonito and They traveled to mountain forests, other buildings were well under 40-60 miles away on wood harvest- way. They continued the construc- ing expeditions where they cut tion in several building episodes trees, peeled the bark, and dried over the next 150 years, always them for a year or more to reduce conforming to the original D- their weight. Teams of people car- shaped design. ried the beams back for construc- tion. Before using them, they care- Chacoan construction was unique fully trimmed them, cut the ends and the structures were immense flush, and sanded the ends with and multi-storied. The people stone tools. Very little wood developed a distinctive masonry remains at Hungo Pavi, but you that added strength and stability of may see many round sockets the massive structures. The builders (especially along the back wall) quarried hard sandstone from the where the people once placed the top of the cliffs, impounded water, wood beams.

PREHISTORIC ROADS At the eastern most point of the trail, examine the cliff wall fur- ther east. When the sun is over- head, you may see a wide steep stairway carved into the sand- stone cliff. This provided access from the canyon floor to the mesa top where it connects with an elaborate prehistoric road system. This stairway in now closed due to its fragile condi- tion.

Chacoan road system and outlying communities

THE LEGACY Hungo Pavi is a unique Chacoan Chacoan world, dryland adapted great house built by the ancestors crops of corn, squash, and beans, of many Southwestern Indian the sophisticated use of astrono- peoples. It is part of the history my, and the enduring beauty of and traditions of the Hopi, the their art. The traditions that began Pueblo peoples of New Mexico, in places like Chaco Canyon did and the Navajo, who continue to not end there, but continue on in respect and honor it. the lives and traditions of American Indian descendants The legacy of the Chacoan people today. includes the architectural and engineering marvels of the