Aztec Ruins National Monument

Aztec Ruins National Monument is located in northwestern New Mexico next to Aztec city 12 miles northeast of Farmington.

It consists of preserved structures constructed by the ancestral to the Pueblo Indians on the western bank of the Animas River.

The ruin was wrongly named “Aztec Ruins” in 19th century by American settlers who misattributed their construction to the Aztecs.

The settlement consists of large public buildings, smaller structures, earthworks, and ceremonial buildings and was used between the years 1000 and 1200 CE.

It was contemporary to the Chaco Canyon community that lies 55 miles south, which flourished between 850 and 1130 CE.

The visitor center has a small museum and a short video.

A short trail leaves the museum and walks you through the site.

The great Kiva has been reconstructed to what archeologists think was its original form.

Many Southwestern American Indians today maintain deep spiritual ties with this ancestral site.


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2 Replies to “Aztec Ruins National Monument”

  1. I never heard about these ruins (and I lived in NM for 3 years, and in Colorado for almost 10!!!). Excess of ignorance or lack of information (from NM heritage organizations).
    Can you add UTM or Lat-Long coordinates of these sites, like 36.835388, -107.998991

    Jorge

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