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Aztec Ruins National MonumentExplore rooms with original ceilings from 1100's
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Aztec Ruins National Monument
Things To Do
 

Self-Guided Trail: Aztec Ruins provides visitors an intimate opportunity to explore the ancient Puebloan “great house” known as West Ruin. A self-guided 1/2 mile walk winds through rooms built centuries ago. Along the way discover skillful stone masonry, remarkably well-preserved wood roofing and original mortar in some walls.  The interpretive trail guide combines modern archeological findings and traditional Native American perspectives to enhance the visitor experience. At the trail's end, visitors enter the Great Kiva. This awesome semi-subterranean structure, over 40-feet in diameter, was the central social and religious site of this ancient complex.  Now reconstructed, Aztec Ruins' Great Kiva is the oldest and largest building of its kind.

Interpretive Programs: Rangers offer interpretive talks throughout the summer at scheduled times. Other activities include scholarly lectures and demonstrations of traditional American Indian crafts. The times and locations of these events are posted in mid-spring.

VisitorCenter: The museum features a variety of ancient artifacts excavated at or related to Aztec Ruins. Throughout the day a 25 minute video, “Hisatsinom,” reveals the pre-Columbian history of the Four Corners region.

Core and veneer wall  

Did You Know?
In places the walls at Aztec Ruins are three feet thick, making them over twice as thick as Mesa Verde cliff dwelling architecture. Masons used the “core and veneer” style, laying a thick rubble core within a finely shaped stone veneer. This style is typical of Chaco Canyon "great house" sites.

Last Updated: January 15, 2007 at 18:09 EST