Chaco Culture, NM National Monument

The canyon, with hundreds of smaller ruins, contains 13 major Indian ruins unsurpassed in the United States, representing the highest point of Pueblo pre-Columbian civilization. Proclaimed Chaco Canyon National Monument Mar. 11, 1907; redesignated and renamed Dec. 19, 1980. Boundary changes: Jan. 10, 1928; Dec. 19, 1980. Designated a World Heritage Site Dec. 8, 1987. Acreage - 33,974.29 Federal: 31,084.74 Nonfederal: 2.889.55.

Chaco Canyon was an important Anasazi (ancient Native American) cultural center from about 900 through 1130 AD.  About 30 ancient masonry buildings, containing hundreds of rooms each, attest to Chaco's importance. Some structures are thought to serve as astronomical observatories or calendars. Archaeologists discovered jewelry made from Mexican and Californian materials in ancient trash heaps. Large well-constructed roadways thought to be built for pilgrims, subjects, or traders, lead from sites 50 miles away to the center of Chaco Canyon. In a very real sense, all roads lead to Chaco.
Sites include Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, Casa Rinconada, and Pueblo Del Arroyo.
PDF Map of the site.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park (NPS)
Chaco Culture National Historic Park
Chetro Ketl Great Kiva: A Three-Dimensional Model
Casa Rinconada at Chaco Canyon
The Chaco Legacy
LLBean site Chaco Culture National Historic Park
ICOMOSChaco Culture National Historic Park
UNESCO Chaco Culture National Historic Park