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Chaco Canyon World Heritage Site
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| Road to Chaco | Interiors | Park closed; petroglyphs hike | |
| A tour to start | Casa Rinconada | ||
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"For over 2,000 years, Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States. Chaco Canyon, a major centre of ancestral Pueblo culture between 850 and 1250, was a focus for ceremonials, trade and political activity for the prehistoric Four Corners area. Chaco is remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings and its distinctive architecture - it has an ancient urban ceremonial centre that is unlike anything constructed before or since." This was my top destination request. I was here in 1967. At that time much less had veen excavated and little wss known. It was evern harder to access than it is today. Much has been written about it since 1967. But much remains conjectural. | |||
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Chaco can be reached only by miles of "automobile-break" road. A portion of the road passes through Navajo land. The Navajo disdain pavement.
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957 _18Sep28-SW18_0906  |
958 _18Sep28-SW18_1050  |
959 _18Sep28-SW18_1209 Quick lunch before tour.  |
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We had done well by tours at two previous sites so we joined the tour shortly after we arrived. This one was not up to the others. Kay nearly passed out due to no relief from the sun and no way to sit down.
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357 _18Sep28-SW18_1227  |
960 _18Sep28-SW18_1232  |
961 _18Sep28-SW18_1254  |
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962 _18Sep28-SW18_1307 The guide, a teaacher retired after 40 years of teaching, was a bit pedentic. Her stamina however, standing in the relentless sun no place to sit, blew away all of ours.  |
358 _18Sep28-SW18_1327 This is Pueblo Bonito, a kiva. Pueblo Bonito is the most extensive of the pueblos.  |
359 _18Sep28-SW18_1331  |
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360 _18Sep28-SW18_1332  |
360 _18Sep28-SW18_1345  |
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These ground level rooms were the lowest of three stories, 900 years ago. They would have been extremely dark and almost airless. Buf for us they were welcome relief from the sun.
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360 _18Sep28-SW18_1340b  |
360 _18Sep28-SW18_1343  |
360 _18Sep28-SW18_1343a  |
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360 _18Sep28-SW18_1345a  |
360 _18Sep28-SW18_1346  |
360 _18Sep28-SW18_1347a  |
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360 _18Sep28-SW18_1348  |
361 _18Sep28-SW18_1349 Some posit elaborate theories to explain these corner openings "they allow the equinox sun to align with...", etc. I think they were executed because they are architecturally cool.  |
361 _18Sep28-SW18_1349a  |
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361 _18Sep28-SW18_1350  |
361 _18Sep28-SW18_1350a  |
361 _18Sep28-SW18_1351  |
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361 _18Sep28-SW18_1352a  |
361 _18Sep28-SW18_1353  |
361 _18Sep28-SW18_1357  |
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361 _18Sep28-SW18_1414 About 20 years ago a similar pinnacle fell away from the cliff, burying a fraction of Pueblo Bonito.  |
361 _18Sep28-SW18_1415  |
362 _18Sep28-SW18_1427  |
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362 _18Sep28-SW18_1428  |
362 _18Sep28-SW18_1428a  |
362 _18Sep28-SW18_1429  |
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363 _18Sep28-SW18_1431  |
363 _18Sep28-SW18_1434 See the fine stonework in this and in other views. I wondered how they obtained such a quantity of parallel-face stone. Such stone is common in the Appalachians where shale abounds. There is no shale here. We learned that the cliffs and plateau were formerly wrapped with a thin rock layer. The Chaco builders stripped it all off, broke it and used it thus.  |
364 _18Sep28-SW18_1434a Small holes like these supported floor beams, either disappeared or removed in the excavation.  |
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365 _18Sep28-SW18_1457  |
365 _18Sep28-SW18_1509 The T-shaped opening, unique to Chaco culture. Its purpose is not known. Every commentator has his or her own conjecture. After visiting this time, my opinion is that the Chaco people considered it cool. They were architects.  |
365 _18Sep28-SW18_1509a  |
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962 _18Sep28-SW18_1345 |
963 _18Sep28-SW18_1348 |
963 _18Sep28-SW18_1350 |
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964 _18Sep28-SW18_1351 |
965 _18Sep28-SW18_1355  |
966 _18Sep28-SW18_1405  |
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966 _18Sep28-SW18_1428 |
38 _18Sep28-SW18_1341a  |
38 _18Sep28-SW18_1345b  |
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38 _18Sep28-SW18_1348a  |
39 _18Sep28-SW18_1350b  |
39 _18Sep28-SW18_1357a  |
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Casa Rinconada, a somewhat smaller pueblo less completely excavated.
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967 _18Sep28-SW18_1523  |
969 _18Sep28-SW18_1539  |
969 _18Sep28-SW18_1548  |
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969 _18Sep28-SW18_1607b  |
969 _18Sep28-SW18_1608  |
972 _18Sep28-SW18_1639  |
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972 _18Sep28-SW18_1651  |
974 _18Sep28-SW18_1712  |
976 _18Sep28-SW18_1719a  |
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977 _18Sep28-SW18_1719b  |
367 _18Sep28-SW18_1528a This is the largest kiva in the Southwest.  |
366 _18Sep28-SW18_1528  |
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982 _18Sep28-SW18_1747 Late in the afternoon, most of the tourists gone, the elk emerge.  |
970 _18Sep28-SW18_1632  |
984 _18Sep28-SW18_1751  |
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Park loop road now closed. Behind visitors center is a short hike to petroglyphs
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