The folks at Aztec Ruins National Monument near Farmington, New Mexico, would be the first to tell you that Chaco Canyon was not the only place Ancestral Puebloans developed large pueblos.
The great houses in Aztec, 70 miles north of the Chaco Canyon pueblos, were built between 1100 and 1300 A.D. Despite the name, this pueblo was not built by the Aztecs; their empire in central Mexico would not come to fruition until the 15th century and they never expanded this far to the north.
- Aztec Pueblo Followed the Plan for Chaco Great Houses
- Aztec Abandoned Around 1300 CE
- Explore the Reconstructed Great Kiva
- Visiting Aztec Ruins National Monument
- Aztec Ruins Tours and Trails
- Enjoy the Heritage Garden
- Aztec Ruins National Monument Conservation and Preservation
- Weather at Aztec Ruins
- Getting to Aztec Ruins National Monument
- Other Ancestral Puebloan Ruins to Visit
So, why call abandoned pueblos in Northern New Mexico “Aztec”? Early settlers in the late 1800s heard tales of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortez defeating the Aztecs in 1521 and used that name to identify their community in the Four Corners region.
Today, Aztec Ruins National Monument is a World Heritage site, preserving important Pueblo architectural and engineering achievements. The monument is part of the Chaco Culture World Heritage site, showcasing the deep spiritual ties of the Ancestral Pueblo people.
Aztec Pueblo Followed the Plan for Chaco Great Houses
The great houses, which were large groupings of buildings, at Aztec were constructed when Chaco culture was in decline. Like Chaco, the structures at Aztec Ruins National Monument were built of marine sandstone and cemented with mortar and adobe.
They used cottonwood, piñon, juniper, spruce, Douglas fir, and aspen for roofing. Many of these heavy logs were cut and carried on their shoulders from miles away. These people, like the Chacoans, had no horses and no wheels.
Tree ring dating indicates most of the pueblo was built from 1110 to 1115 CE. People continued remodeling and enlarging their community until building ceased in the late 1200s. By then, the village consisted of several large pueblos, great kivas, small residential pueblos, earthworks, and roads.
Aztec Abandoned Around 1300 CE
They lived near the banks of the Animas River, which provided water most of the year, allowing their agriculture to flourish. But within a century — around 1300 CE — they began to leave the area. Their departure could have resulted from drought, overhunting, depletion of natural resources, and even social changes.
The Aztec pueblo is divided into west and east ruins. The West Ruin, a great house, was excavated by Earl Halstead Morris, a pioneer in southwestern archaeology, who worked at the site from 1916 to 1923.
Covering about two acres, the West Ruin once contained upwards of 400 interconnected rooms averaging 10 by 12 feet and 30 kivas. Some of its walls reach 30 feet. The pueblo included an enclosed plaza dominated by the Aztec West Great Kiva, which is the oldest and largest reconstructed building of its kind.
Explore the Reconstructed Great Kiva
After excavating other Southwestern ruins, Morris returned to Aztec and reconstructed the great kiva in 1933–34. This semi-subterranean, circular ceremonial chamber has an inner diameter of 48 feet and an outer ring of 14 rooms. It exhibits bilateral symmetry along its central north-south axis, with north and south entrances.
The interior core-and-veneer masonry walls include wall niches and a bench all around the interior wall. The roof structure rests on four piers, built with alternating courses of stone and wood, and each seated on four stacked circular disks of limestone, three feet in diameter. This sophisticated structure would have carried a roof, weighing an estimated 90 tons.
Like many other Ancestral Puebloan structures, the reconstructed great kiva in Aztec West here marks the summer and winter solstices. If you watch from the west corner of the wall, the sun rises up the east corner on the summer solstice.
Conversely, on the winter solstice, you can watch the sun set down the west corner. It is believed that incorporating these solar calendars into their structures not only helped track agricultural seasons but could have been part of ceremonial life as well.
Visiting Aztec Ruins National Monument
There is no fee to visit Aztec Ruins National Monument, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to access the parking areas, restrooms, archeological sites, picnic areas, and trails. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aztec Ruins is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
You’ll start at the visitor center, previously Earl Morris’ house. You’ll receive an orientation to the archeological site, pick up a trail guide, and, in the museum, see 900-year-old artifacts such as food remains, stone and wood tools, cotton and feather clothing, fiber sandals, and jewelry made of turquoise and shell. You can also watch a video to hear diverse perspectives from Pueblo people, Navajo tribal members, and archeologists.
While you’re at the visitor center, pick up a Junior Ranger packet for the kids or anyone in your group who would like to explore deeper and earn a badge. Ask, too, about special events. During the summer months, activities such as ranger-led tours of Aztec East, traditional dance performances, lectures, plant walks, and workshops are offered. Check the monument’s online calendar for the latest options.
Aztec Ruins Tours and Trails
Your self-guided tour runs a half-mile and begins at the Aztec West Great House where you can go through some of its original rooms. Be sure to examine the skillful stone masonry, remarkably well-preserved original roofs, and original mortar in some walls. Your tour will also include going inside the restored great kiva, used for ceremonial purposes by the ancient people.
Note the western walls of the great kiva have mysterious stripes of green greywacke stone, an uncommon “dirty sandstone” that forms from underwater avalanches. The stones were covered with adobe, so no one is certain of the stripe’s purpose, although it probably was ceremonial rather than just decorative.
The interpretive trail guide combines modern archeological findings with traditional Native American perspectives. If you want a more in-depth informative tour, rangers offer interpretive talks and tours at scheduled times during the summer months.
The ruins on the east side include Mound F, Mound A, East Ruin, and the Earl Morris Ruin. They are reserved for future excavation and study and are closed to the public except during ranger-led tours.
Enjoy the Heritage Garden
You can conclude your tour of Aztec Ruins with a visit to the Heritage Garden and Native Plants Walk. Park staff and volunteers grow traditional crops like corn, beans, squash, sunflowers, and gourds.
You can see the wild plants people in the Southwest have relied on for thousands of years. Follow these links to read about the grasses, herbaceous plants, and succulents as well as the shrubs and trees found on the trail and elsewhere at Aztec Ruins National Monument.
Aztec Ruins National Monument Conservation and Preservation
In 2023, the monument celebrated its centennial, having been established by President Warren G. Harding on January 24, 1923.
The National Park Service is committed to preserving Aztec Ruins National Monument for future generations and to do so, they need your cooperation. Stay on designated trails and do not climb on the walls. That way, you can help protect the site’s cultural and natural resources.
Weather at Aztec Ruins
Like other places in this part of the Southwest, summer temperatures can creep higher than 100 degrees and cold winter nights can drop to zero. It can even snow a bit here. Spring can be warm and dry or cold and windy. Fall is generally the most pleasant time to visit.
Getting to Aztec Ruins National Monument
Aztec Ruins National Monument is located at 725 Ruins Road within the city limits of Aztec, New Mexico, about 15 miles from Farmington. Follow Highway 516 to Aztec and a quarter-mile past Lightplant Road, turn left onto Ruins Road. In a half mile, you’ll arrive at Aztec Ruins.
Other Ancestral Puebloan Ruins to Visit
If you found the history at Aztec Ruins National Monument fascinating, the Four Corners region of the American Southwest has many other destinations with preserved ancient ruins to explore. In southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is one of the most famous places to visit.
Not far away, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument with two 12th-century archaeological sites and an outstanding museum is another must-see destination.
We’ve mentioned Chaco Canyon National Historical Park in Northern New Mexico as well, which is a bit more challenging to visit due to the washboard dirt road you must navigate to get there.
To see both a reconstructed great kiva and a wealth of well-preserved artifacts such as Ancestral Puebloan pottery, be sure to visit Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in southeastern Utah.
In Arizona, another outstanding destination to explore history is Navajo National Monument, which preserves three Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling sites.
A Legacy Preserved
Visitors to the great house and kivas at Aztec Ruins get a glimpse into what life was like for the ancient people who lived here along the Animas River near the San Juan Mountains long ago.
Totaling roughly 318 acres, Aztec Ruins National Monument is a relatively small remnant of the history of the Southwest but despite its size, its significance to descendants, archeologists, preservationists, and visitors — like you — is undeniable.
