Aztec West Audio Tour: Stop #18

The final stop along the Aztec West self-guided audio tour.

NPS

The trail through the Aztec West great house is 0.5 mile in length and requires about 40 minutes to complete using the audio tour. Most of the trail is paved and accessible to wheelchairs, with some steps and low doorways. Wheelchairs are available at the visitor center to borrow upon request.

• Stop #18

  
  

  The eighteenth numbered stop along the Aztec West self-guided trail.
  Audio Transcript

  Eventually, though, the site no longer serve the needs of the community. People started to move away from the center, perhaps because of a combination of drought and social factors. By 1300, people had left the entire region. The Pueblo people believe Aztec was just one of many stops in their migration journey to the center place. From here, they traveled west, south, and east to Hopi, Zuni, and the other pueblos in New Mexico. In these modern communities, Pueblo people keep alive many of the same traditions and customs that flourished here. The people continue to come back to honor the spirits of their ancestors who, they believe, still inhabit this special place.