NATIONAL MONUMENT • NEW MEXICO

South side of the north part of the ruins.

Related Areas to unfold the full potential of the National A number cf other Southwestern areas in Park System for the use and enjoyment of the National Park System are set aside to present and future generations. protect prehistoric structures. These include A superintendent, whose address is Route Mesa Verde National Park, Colo., and the 1, Box 101, Aztec, N. Mex., 87410, is in im­ following National Monuments: Bandelier, mediate charge of the monument. Chaco Canyon, and Gila Cliff Dwellings, America's Natural Resources N. Mex.; Canyon de Chelly, Casa Grande, Created in 1849, the Department of the Montezuma Castle, Navajo, Tonto, Tuzigoot, Interior—America's Department of Natural Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki, Ariz. Resources—is concerned with the manage­ ment, conservation, and development of the Administration Nation's water, wildlife, mineral, forest, and AZTEC RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT, es­ park and recreational resources. It also has tablished on January 24, 1923, and contain­ major responsibilities for Indian and terri­ ing 27 acres, is administered by the National torial affairs. Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. As the Nation's principal conservation AZTEC RUINS TRAIL agency, the Department works to assure that The National Park System, of which this AZTEC RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT area is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the nonrenewable resources are developed and NEW MEXICO scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the used wisely, that park and recreational re­ ^^K ROUTE OF SELF-GUIDING TRAIL United States for the benefit and inspiration sources are conserved, and that renewable •^—• MODERN WALL - RUINED WALL (EXCAVATED) of the people. resources make their full contribution to the ,-:: RUINED WALL (UNEXCAVATEDI Development of the monument is part of progress, prosperity, and security of the Note: Conditions as of Jan 1954 MISSION 66, a dynamic conservation program United States—now and in the future.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR REV APRIL 1964 NOV 1960 NM-AZT 7004 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Revised 1964 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1964-O-730-66I cultural center. The progressive pueblos of Long before Europeans even suspected their Mesa Verde to the north began to influence existence, their culture developed, flowered, the people of this area, and by 1200 Mesa and vanished—except for these ruins. Verde ideas dominated the San Juan region. History The Aztec Ruins community was located NATIONAL MONUMENT between these two centers of development The first reference to ruins in this vicinity and was influenced by both. The large is on Escalante's map of 1776—77. In 1859 Spectacular ruins embodying the architecture and building techniques pueblo was built during the period of Chaco Prof. J. S. Newberry wrote a good descrip­ of two groups of Pueblo Indians influence. The pattern of the building and tive report on the ruins themselves. its great size compare favorably with the United States citizens began to settle in major towns of Chaco Canyon. the valley around the ruins in 1876. From In this National Monument are preserved probably from cotton imported from the that time, the ruins have been well known. the ruins of one of the largest pre-Spanish south. And they began raising beans at this As Chaco influence declined, the massive Scientific investigation began in 1878 villages in the Southwest. The biggest ruin time. buildings were replaced by smaller buildings with thin walls and low ceilings, which are when Lewis H. Morgan visited the ruins and was once a 3-story building of 500 rooms. The main supply of food came from tilling characteristic of Mesa Verde. published a description and ground plan. It was excavated by the American Museum the fields near the towns. No doubt the peo­ In 1916, excavations were begun by Earl H. of Natural History and furnishes an excellent ple used the same land that is being farmed Pottery and other arts and crafts of the Morris of the American Museum of Natural example of classical pueblo construction. today. Irrigation ditches carried water from people were also affected by the successive influences of the two cultural centers. History. He excavated the large ruin be­ West wall of large ruin showing unique stripe of colored rock. There are also ruins of several unexcavated the Animas River to their fields. The ditches tween 1916 and 1921 and did intermittent were dug with stone and wooden tools. smaller pueblos, which appear today as large Abandonment work through the 1920's. The food supply was supplemented with mounds with parts of masonry wall protrud­ Then about 1300 the entire basin was Around the plaza, the house was 1-story high this structure has an inside diameter of 48 wild plants gathered in season and animals ing from them. abandoned. Perhaps the abandonment was The Excavated Town and terraced up to 3 stories or more on the feet. Its features differ from those of the The name "Aztec" was applied to the ruins obtained with the bow and arrow, snare, and small kivas and establish-it as a Great Kiva partly caused by the severe drought that HOMES. Tree-ring dates indicate that most north side. by early settlers from the United States who throwing stick. like those of Chaco. This structure was parched the Southwest from 1276 to 1299- of the big pueblo was rapidly constructed The south side of the plaza was enclosed had a mistaken idea of the ancient builders. When you remember that these people cut completely restored in 1934 by Earl H. But this is only one of many theories con­ from 111.0 to 1114. Rooms were built in by a 1-story row of rooms, 1 room in depth, Actually, the pre-Spanish inhabitants were stones, felled trees, and transported heavy Morris who had excavated it for the Ameri­ cerning the abandonment—an aura of mys­ groups, several at a time. Walls of the curved outward. As the lowest part of the Pueblo Indians and not related to the Aztec loads, without benefit of metal, wheels, or can Museum of Natural History. These tery still haunts these ancient cities. rooms were continuous within each section, building was on the south side, the plaza Indians of Mexico. beasts of burden, you can better appreciate Great Kivas represent the peak of religious For perhaps a thousand years these inter­ adding strength to the structure and giving received a maximum amount of sunlight. their skills and the immensity of their labors. architecture among the Pueblos. They are esting people lived in the San Juan Basin. When completed, the building looked some­ Where and How They Lived the impression of a well-planned building. not used by modern Pueblo Indians. Consider, for example, the sweat and toil that what like a rectangular amphitheater. There The eastern drainage of the San Juan went into building the main pueblo. The Interior of restored Great Kiva. were over 500 rooms built for housing and About Your Visit River, from its sources in Colorado and New sandstone had to be transported from quar­ for storage. Rooms averaged 10 by 12 feet, All-weather roads from the north, east, and Mexico to its great bends in Utah, forms a ries from 1 to 4 miles away. Timbers for with ceilings 9 feet high. geographical area where prehistoric Pueblo west on U.S. 550 and from the south and east roofs were brought from the surrounding Rear rooms were reached through those Indians reached a high stage of civilization. on N. Mex. 44 lead to the monument. Com­ areas. Under these circumstances, achieve­ in front, for there were no hallways. We cannot tell when the Indians first prac­ mercial air connections can be made at Farm- ment depended on manpower and ingenuity. KlVAS. Pueblo Indians of this area built ticed agriculture, but by A.D. 600 they had ington, 14 miles to the west. There is bus Building and maintaining such a community separate rooms, known as kivas, for cere­ settled in small villages in this area where service from Aztec and Farmington. Over­ was a major undertaking. monial purposes. The kivas built during the they grew corn and squash. night facilities are not available at the monu­ main construction period (Chaco influence) ment. The small villages grew into larger com­ Cultural Influences were large circular rooms, built either under­ You can visit the monument from 8 a.m. munities, and by 1100 the people's arts and One of the San Juan Basin's cultural high ground or in the main block of the house. to 5 p.m. all year. The admission fee is crafts had reached a high level of achieve­ points was reached at Chaco Canyon, about Kivas built or remodeled in later years con­ waived for children under J5 years of age ment. They developed tools of stone, bone, 65 miles south of Aztec. For some years be­ formed to the Mesa Verde architectural style and elementary and high school educational and wood with which they built large stone- fore and after 1100, Chaco Canyon was the and were smaller and keyhole shaped. groups. The museum and self-guiding tour masonry houses, made decorated pottery, center of trade and ideas for this area. GREAT KIVA. During the period of Chaco will help you to understand the ruin. Guided farmed by irrigation, and practiced other arts During the last half of the 1100's, how­ influence, a very large circular building was tours are provided for large groups upon and crafts. They wove intricate cotton cloth, ever, Chaco Canyon declined as the basin's constructed in the plaza. The center room of request.