The Best Ancient Sites to visit in the USA - Part 1: The Southwest New Mexico

Submitted by Andy B on Tuesday, 23 January 2018 Page Views: 8196

Country: United States State: New Mexico
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**Chaco Culture NHP - Pueblo Bonito** submitted by jeffrep : Pueblo Bonito, the largest and best-known great house in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northern New Mexico in the U.S. Southwest, was built by the Ancestral Puebloans, who occupied the structure between 828 and 1126 A.D. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The site in the Southwest that our visitors most recommend is the Chaco Culture National Historical Park near Farmington, New Mexico, which contains the most amazing collection of ancient dwellings in the American Southwest. Between 850 and 1150 AD, Chaco Canyon was a major centre of culture for the ancient Peublo peoples. Read on for more recommended sites to visit.

Pueblo Bonito is the most biggest in the canyon and has had extensive excavation and study. The village covers over four acres, including both community and family kivas, living areas, and storage rooms. The pueblo complex has over 700 rooms and along the cliff side rose to four stories. Although the site was built in stages, there is a consistent design being followed, so Pueblo Bonito appears to have been a "planned" community. There are many other sites to visit in this historic park including the Hungo Pavi Great House

The Mesa Verde Cliff Palace in Montezuma County, Colorado is the the largest cliff dwelling settlement at the Mesa Verde historic site, with 150 separate rooms and 23 kiva chambers. According to tree ring dating it was built in two periods, 1190-91AD and 1260-1280AD. It was constructed in an alcove 89 feet deep and 59 feet high. the complex is over 280 feet long. The structures are of stone, with wooden beams and walls coated with plaster, some of which can still be seen. Occupation evidence suggests that the Cliff Palace was only lived in by about 100 people at one time, with many of the other rooms used for storage.

The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, Tularosa, New Mexico is one of the few locations in the Southwest protected solely because of its rock art, and also one of the few giving direct visitor access. More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres the northern Chihuahuan Desert. The petroglyphs at Three Rivers, were created by Jornada Mogollon people between about 900 and 1400 AD.

The V/V Petroglyph Site, in the Coconino National Forest near Sedona, Arizona takes its name from a 1930s cattle company of the same name - it's home to much older Native American petroglyphs.

The rocks are dense with petroglyphs, some of which have deliberate solar alignments, with shadows appearing and working their way across the petroglyphs at certain times of year. This makes for an impressive and moving experience.

Visiting the United States can be complicated, and outside the scope of this article, but it’s worth saying that while you don’t need a formal visa if you are staying for less than 90 days, you do need an ESTA VISA for the USA. The Electronic Travel Authorization is something that you can apply for online and lasts for two years - during this period you can visit as often as you want.

Getting back to the sites, Pueblo Grande in Maricopa County near Phoenix, Arizona is a large Hohokam village first settled around 2000 years ago and occupied until 1450 AD. Many features can still be made out, including dwellings, cooking areas, parts of the irrigation system, and a platform mound. The site is not exactly peaceful - tucked between an elevated highway and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport but there is a small museum and the site is well interpreted. Even if you only have a brief stopover in Phoenix, this is a very easy site to visit so don’t miss it if you are travelling through.

This list of the top ancient sites to visit in the Southwestern United States of America was compiled with votes from Megalithic Portal visitors. With many thanks to bat400, Jeffrep, Tim Prevett and RBE for researching and photographing these sites. This article kindly supported by estavisaus.org. For more see the links above, the nearby sites lists on those pages, and our guides here.

Contributor Bio for Andy B: Megalithic Portal Founding Editor.

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