Archaeological Sites of the Southwest : New Mexico

NEW MEXICO

Note: The background of this page is Type IV-style masonry from Pueblo Bonito ruin in Chaco Culture National Historical Park .

Aztec Ruins National Monument {Anasazi} (Aztec, NM) [**] Principal Ruins: Aztec ruin (400-room, 9-kiva pueblo); restored/ recreated great kiva; several other sites not open to public Access: $3/person entrance fee. Open 8am-6pm June-August; 8am-5pm rest of the year. Information: Visitor's Center; Contact Superintendent, Aztec Ruins National Monument, P.O.Box 640, Aztec, NM 87410. Phone 505- 334-6174.
Here's a Virtual Reality Model of Aztec Ruins

Bandelier National Monument {Anasazi) (near Los Alamos, NM) [***] Principal Ruins: Tyuonyi (large pueblo), Long House (cliff dwelling), Ceremonial Cave (and recreated kiva); Stone Lions (still a Indian religious site); Painted Cave. Access: $5/vehicle. Many ruins available via a short hike through Frijoles Canyon. Information: Visitor's Center open 8am-6pm June - August, 8am-4:30pm rest of year. Phone 505-672-3861.

Casamero Ruins {Anasazi} (near Prewitt, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: small pueblo (occupied 1000-1125 AD) and unexcavated great kiva. Access: take Exit 63 off I-40 at Prewitt, then east of exit junction of US Hwy 66, McKinley County Road 19 leads north to the Plains Escalante Generating Station. Follow that road 4 miles. Information:

Chaco Culture National Historical Park {Anasazi} [*****] Principal Ruins: Pueblo Bonito, Great Kiva of Casa Rinconada; Chetro Ketl, Una Vida, Hungo Pavi, Kin Kletso, Casa Chaquita, Pueblo del Arroyo; also Sun Dagger Solar/Lunar Observatory (on Fajada Butte - not accessible); over 3.500 recorded sites (most not accessible) Access: $8/vehicle entrance fee. Access to the Park is via long dirt roads: From the north, Chaco can be reached by turning off NM Hwy. 44 at Nageezi and following San Juan County Road 7800 for 11 miles to New Mexico Hwy 57; the Visitor's center is 15 miles ahead on Hwy 57. From the south, pick up New Mexico Hwy 57 via Grants or Crownpoint. Both of these routes include at least 20 miles of unpaved roads. Self-guiding trails explore seven of the Park's ruins including Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, Pueblo del Arroyo, Casa Rinconada, and 3 village sites. Four other trails for day hiking lead into the back country (permits required). Information: Visitor's Center open 8am - 6pm June-August; 8am-5pm rest of year. Contact: Superintendent, Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Star Route 4, Box 6500, Bloomfield, NM 87413. Phone 505-786-7014.

Coronado State Monument {ancient Pueblos} (near Bernalillo, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: Kuaua Pueblo; reconstructed kiva with murals Access: $2 entrance fee. Located along US Hwy 44, 1 mi. w of Bernalillo. Information: Phone 505-867-3304.

Dittert Site {Anasazi} (about 45 mi. se of Grants, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: small pueblo and kiva, mostly backfilled/covered over Access: drive 5 miles east of Grants on I-40, then continue 9 miles south on SR 117 to BLM ranger station (ask directions). Information:

El Morro National Monument {Anasazi} (40 mi. w of Grants, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: Atsinna ruin - originally over 500 rooms, all that's been excavated is around 20 rooms and 2 kivas. Also Inscription Rock (petroglyphs and grafitti dating back over 500 years) Access: Entrance fee $4/vehicle or $2/person. Located on SR 53, 40 mi west of Grants and 30 miles east of Zuni, NM. Information: Contact Superintendent, El Morro National Monument, Rt. 2, P.O. Box 43, Ramah, NM 87321. Phone 505-783-4226.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument {Mogollon} (44 mi. n of Silver City, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: cliff dwellings (about 40 rooms built circa 1270 AD); pithouses dating back to around 300 AD. Access: located at the end of SR 15, 44 miles north of Silver City. Information: Phone 505-536-9461.

Hawikuh Ruin {Anasazi} (12 mi. s of Zuni Pueblo, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: large in size, but these are mostly collapsed mounds of rubble. Access: obtain permission to visit the site from the Zuni Tribal Office (505-782-4481); for direction to the site, call the tribal archeology department at 505-782-4814.

Jemez State Monument {ancient Pueblos} (near Jemez Springs, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: pueblo mounds plus 1621 AD church and monastery Access: Entrance fee $2. Located on SR 4 just north of Jemez Springs. Information: Phone 505-829-3530.

Pecos National Historic Park {ancient Pueblos} (near Pecos, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: North Pueblo and South Pueblo Access: $5/vehicle entrance fee. Park is 2 miles south of Pecos on New Mexico Road 63. self-guiding 1.25 mile hike; guided tours available on request. Information: Visitors Center open 8am-6pm June-Aug., 8-5 rest of year. Phone 505-757-6414/6032.

Poshuouinga Ruins {ancient Pueblos) (near Abiquiu, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: large pueblo (over 700 ground-floor rooms surrounding 2 large plazas with a large kiva in larger plaza) Access: located on US Hwy 84 2.5 mi. south of Abiquiu. Information:

Petroglyph National Monument {ancient Pueblos} (Albuquerque, NM) [*] Principal Ruins: over 15,000 petroglyphs (most dating from 1300 AD to 1680 AD, but some dating back 3000 years) Access: No entrance fee. Several sections in northwestern Albuquerque. Information: Petroglyph National Monument, P.O. Box 1293, Albuquerque, NM 87103 (Phone 505-768-3316) or call City of Albuquerque Division of Open Space at 505-873-6620.

Pueblitos of Dinetah {ancient Pueblos} (ne of Farmington, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: 8 small pueblos dating from 1715 to 1754. Access: get detailed directions from BLM; the ruins are only accessible via long drives on dirt roads. Information: Bureau of Land Management phone 505-761-4505 or 505- 327-5344.

Puye' Cliff Dwellings {ancient Pueblos) (Espanola, NM) [** NPE] Principal Ruins: combination of cliff dwellings and mesa top pueblos believed to originally have over 1,000 rooms. Access: $5 admission. 11 miles west of Espanola via New Mexico Roads 30 and 5 in the Santa Clara Indian Rservation. Mesa top accessible via gravel road or hiking. Open 9am-6pm. Guided tours available by reservation. Information: Phone 505-753-7326.

Salinas Pueblo Mission National Monument {ancient Pueblos} (Mountainair, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: Gran Quivira, Quarai, Abo Access: No entrance fee. Information: Visitor Center at Broadway & Ripley Streets in Mountainair. Phone 505-847-2585.

Salmon Ruin {Anasazi} (Bloomfield, NM) [**] Principal Ruins: Salmon ruin (11th century pueblo and Chacoan outlier) Access: $1 admission. 2.5 miles west of Bloomfield via U.S. Hwy 64. Information: 505-632-2013.

Three Rivers Petroglyph Site {Mogollon} (30 mi. n of Alamogordo, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: some 20,000 petroglyphs dating from 900 AD to 1400 AD. Access: go 30 miles north of Alamagordo on US Hwy 54; turn east at the Three Rivers intersection and go 5 miles to the site. One trail leads through petroglyphs and another to the excavated ruins. Information: Phone 505-525-8228.

Village of the Great Kivas {Anasazi} (on Zuni Reservation, NM) [* NPE] Principal Ruins: small (18 room) pueblo with 2 unexcavated great kivas. Access: located 17 miles from Zuni Pueblo. To visit the site, contact the Zuni Tribal Office at 505-782-4481 for permission and 505-782-4814 for directions (from tribal archaeology dept.).

* Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Albuquerque, NM [**] Located on the University of New Mexico campus.

* Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, NM [***] P.O Box 2087, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2087
Phone: 505 827-6344 for more information.

* Western New Mexico University Museum, Silver City, NM [NPE]

Although in Texas, it's pretty close to New Mexico:
* Center for Indiginous Research , El Paso, TX [NPE]

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