Aztec Ruins
National Monument
Visit Planner
Ancestral Puebloans at Aztec Ruins
Early settlers mistakingly
thought that people from the Aztec Empire in Mexico created these striking
buildings. They named the site “Aztec,” a misnomer that persisted even after
it became clear that the builders were the ancestors of many Southwestern
tribes. The people who built at Aztec and other places throughout the Southwest
were called “Anasazi” for many years. Archeologists had adopted a word from
the Navajo language, that they understood to mean “old people,” and then popularized
its use. Most Pueblo people today prefer that we use the term “ancestral Pueblo”
to refer to their ancestors.
An Ancient Community
Aztec
Ruins, built and used over a 200-year period, is the largest Ancestral Puebloan
community in the Animas River valley.
Concentrated on and below a terrace overlooking the Animas River, the people at
Aztec built several multi-story buildings called “great houses” and many
smaller “residential” pueblos. Associated with each great house was a “great
kiva”—a large semi-subterranean circular chamber used for ceremonies. Nearby,
are three unusual “tri-wall” structures—above ground kivas encircled by three
concentric walls. In addition, they modified the landscape with dozens of
linear “roads” and earthen berms.
The West Ruin, the excavated “great house”
that visitors can tour, had at least 400 interconnected rooms built around an
open plaza. Its massive sandstone walls tower over 30 feet. Some rooms contain
the original pine, spruce, and aspen beams hauled from distant mountains.
Archeologists excavated and reconstructed the great kiva in the West Ruin
plaza, and it now evokes a sense of the original sacred space.
The construction at
Aztec shows a strong influence from Chaco Canyon, a major Ancestral Pueblo site
to the south. Aztec may have been an
“outlier” of Chaco, a sort of ancillary place connected to the center to
distribute food and goods to the surrounding population. Or it may have been a center in its own
right as Chaco’s regional influence waned after AD 1100.
Excavation of the West
Ruin in the early 1900’s uncovered thousands of well-preserved artifacts that
provide glimpses into the Ancestral Puebloans’ lives. A remarkable variety of
food remains, stone and wood tools, cotton and feather clothing, fiber sandals
and mats, pottery, and jewelry made of exotic materials such as turquoise,
obsidian, and shell reveal much about their use of local resources and
interactions with others.
About AD 1300 the Ancestral Puebloans left the region, traveling southeast to join existing pueblos along the Rio Grande, south to the Zuni area, or west to join the Hopi villages in Arizona.
Activities
Visitor Center: The visitor center features
exhibits and a video shown numerous times daily. Books, postcards,
posters, and videos are for sale.
Picnicking:
A
shaded picnic area with tables is available on a first-come, first-served
basis.
Self-Guiding
Trail: An 800-yard paved
trail winds through the West Ruin. The trail passes through several rooms with
intact original roofs, and the reconstructed great kiva. Rangers give interpretive
talks throughout the summer. A trail guide booklet is available to borrow or
purchase.
Services
Lodging and camping: Aztec Ruins National Monument is a day use area with no campground. Commercial campgrounds are available in nearby Aztec and Farmington. Navajo Lake State Park is 25 miles east. Food, gas, and lodging are available in Aztec and Farmington.
Accessibility: A TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) is available. Callers should give adequate signals and allow sufficient hookup time (505) 334-6174 then dial 30. The visitor center, restrooms, a picnic table, and portions of the trail are accessible to wheelchairs.
Weather
and Climate
Summer
temperatures are usually in the 80s and 90s. Afternoon thunderstorms are common
during July and August. Fall is usually pleasant, with mild daytime
temperatures and crisp nights.
Snow periodically
falls through the winter. Winter daytime temperatures range from the 20s
through 50s, with cold nights. Spring
weather has windy days and variable temperatures. Annual precipitation is 8-10
inches.
Location
Aztec Ruins National
Monument is located on Ruins Road about 3/4 mile north of New Mexico Highway
516, in the town of Aztec, New Mexico.
Information
Write or phone: Superintendent
Aztec Ruins National Monument
84 County Road 2900
Aztec, New Mexico 87410
888 838-9551 (Voice or TDD user)
For additional area information:
Aztec Chamber of Commerce
110 N. Ash
Aztec, NM 87410
(505) 334-9551
www.aztecnm.com
Farmington Convention and
Visitors Bureau
3041 E. Main
Farmington, New Mexico 87402
1-800-448-1240
www.farmingtonnm.org
