CHACO CULTURE WORLD HERITAGE SITE

The polychrome colors of the New Mexico desert mountains and canyons along the scenic by way SR 550 are beautiful. Forty miles north of Cuba off the 550 to reach Chaco Canyon one must take a 21 mile route off the beaten path along SR7900 to 7950. It is 8 miles of paved road. Then the fun began on unpaved dirt road for 13 miles jolting us in the seats of the Jeep rattling along over washboard ruts. There were a few die hard souls (fools) seen along the way taking the risk, or at least the wear and tear on their RV rigs. Wisely we made the trip in our Jeep. 

An Apachi sheep herder was spotted tending his animals in the desert. 

Chaco Canyon is one of twenty-one World Heritage sites in the United States. JR and I have seen sixteen of the sites in the USA. To make the list, sites must possess natural or cultural significance that makes them of “outstanding universal value.” Chaco in the center of northern New Mexico lies at the core of an ancient American Indian civilization begun by people referred to as the “Anasazi.”

The Chaco complex and its extensive system of masonry stone structures and roads were begun as early as 850 A.D. and flourished for several centuries.

            As the economic and religious center for the surrounding region of pueblos, the Chaco masonry buildings had rooms twice the size of Anasazi structures in other areas.  The various pueblo sites in the Chaco Culture were located along the edges of the canyon wall floor but not high up as cliff dwellings.

The Chacoan buildings represent the highest technical excellence, craftsmanship, and coordination of effort in the prehistoric Anasazi area. Chacoans used very simple materials of lumber to reinforce floors and erect stone walls which still stand over five stories. Pueblo Bonita remains as the largest of the nine Chaco Culture historic ruins. The environment was marginal at best in terms of resources.  The prehistoric social system at Chaco may have been its peoples’ most remarkable achievement. It was worth the journey to see the site, bumpy dirt road and all.