CHACO CANYON, NEW MEXICO

Back on the road at last. Zoe fell and injured her ribs and they are still bothering her and I am still weak and hobbling but we are going to give it a try. We head first for Chaco Canyon, a destination we have been trying to get to for several years. Our trip has the added enjoyment of caravanning with our friends Jan and Sally. We have been spoiled by the mild winter in AZ and are surprised by the coldness as we head north. Time to break out our ski jackets.

Chaco Canyon is located in the Four Corners area where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico all come together. Chaco Canyon was the center of a thriving culture a thousand years ago and was settled by the Anasazi people. The Chacoan culture began in the 800s and lasted more than 300 years. They constructed massive stone buildings using masonry techniques unique for their time. The buildings were planned from the start as opposed to the usual method of adding as needed.

By 1050, Chaco was the ceremonial, administrative and economic center of the San Juan Basin. More than 150 great houses were connected by a network of roads that were engineered and planned. It is thought that the buildings may have been mainly “public architecture” that was used in times of ceremony, commerce, and trading by many peoples and clans.

The largest of the great houses is Pueblo Bonito. It was planned and built in several stages and was occupied from the mid-800s to the 1200s. It eventually grew to four stories high and had more than 600 rooms and 40 kivas (ceremonial pits). It is still sacred to many Native American groups today. The modern Southwest Indians are descendants from the Chacoans.

Thanks to my walker, I was able to explore this wonderful site.