The Rise and Quick Fall of Chaco
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Visited the Chaco Canyon exactly two years ago this week. It is true that it is very sparsely visited, which is a shame. We spent nearly the whole day exploring the site and encountered less than 100 other visitors thru out the whole day. Probably one of the reasons for this is the remoteness of the park. It is literally in the middle of nowhere and involves driving about 20 or 30 minutes on a dirt road before reaching the visitor center. Once there, all the main houses and kivas are reachable via a paved road and the area is large enough that getting around in a car is pretty much necessary, especially in the middle of the sweltering heat of the summer. I'd definitely recommend people take the time to visit, especially those with interest in the ancient cultures of the American Southwest. It's one of the lesser known treasures of the United States.
Went here in 2016. My mother and brother and I were the only ones there that day (maybe because it was so hot), and the rugged beauty and silence was just unbelievable. The feeling you get looking at the petroglyphs and buildings is something that's very hard to describe. I'd definitely recommend going there, but obviously be more prepared than we were by bringing a massive amount of water and snacks
I've lived in Vegas my whole life. It's funny but also sad when people bring a ton of beer when they go hiking or exploring in places like this. They laugh and screw around in the first couple hours, but after that, they pester you for sandwiches and water. It gets hot REAL QUICK.
I took was awed by this place. I dream of going back.
Poetic and practical.
Not uncommon to be the only one. They are in a remote part of the country and only dirt roads with sharp rocks will lead you there. Not advisable to drive on those if you don't have a pickup.
@@michaelpipkin9942 Much of New Mexico is on a 6,000 foot plateau. It does get hot in the summer, but nothing like Vegas. What makes this place bad is that you cannot get there on a normal road through the desert. They will only provide you with a 20 mile dirt road that is not advisable to take if you don't have an SUV. Even if it's not muddy you will encounter very sharp rocks and it's unlikely you will see anyone.
Awesome video. Would you also do one about Cahokia and the "Mississippian Culture"? It was just as widespread and as underappreciated.
Is that the "earth mound" tribes?
@@user-oh3yr5dj5y, yes, it is - but "Earth Mound Culture" hardly describes this culture! The earth mounds are just the visible remnants of this culture.
It’s pretty awesome to hear you talk about the natives in my local area. I grew up learning of this community and exploring their ruins. Any video by Simon is a must watch, but this ones special :)
This reminds me that there is a place that I still need to see in the US.
What is a good time of year to see it, November?
@@johnwolf2829 November is usually pretty snowy, but it’s very hot in the summers. September-November would probably be ideal!
I'm a south East New Mexican, and proud of my homes History.
Thank you :)
@@megaprojects9649 no, THANK YOU!
Can you imagine moving west through the wilderness, finding nothing of architectural significance for hundreds of miles and stumbling across this? It'd blow my mind.
We did, we just destroyed it. The Mississippian culture, the Salish cultures, and many others had their earthen works and buildings removed as white people went West.
@@robertanderson4602 This culture collapsed hundreds of years before Columbus.
@@unclefester6501 yes? I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. The comment was regarding seeing evidence of advanced cultures while journeying west, and the reality is it was there, but we systematically destroyed both the ancient sites and the contemporary people's of the area. Chaco hardly stood along historically, but now it's one of the few remaining evidences of North America's city states.
@@robertanderson4602 ...His point is that there were NO white people here when this went away. So Whitie had nothing to do with it.
I totally agree!!! I want to go!!
The Mississippian Mound builders had a robust society, but they built with earth and wood, materials that don't last long in wet climates. The Anasazi built with stone and wood, so their structures are still mostly intact in the desert air...There's a great free VR tour of one of the sites.
The Chaco Canyon Culture is NOT "anasazi" - neither is the Mesa Verde Culture or any other ancient Puebloan culture in the Four Corners Region .. the Navajo Dine DID NOT build Chaco or Mesa Verde or any other Pueblo Site anywhere in Arizona or New Mexico or Southern Colorado or Southern Utah - the Navajo Dine are PLAINS INDIANS - they were living in Montana when Chaco and Mesa Verde were built .. "anasazi" NEVER EXISTED anywhere in the Four Corners region - the Navajo NEVER Lived anywhere in the Four Corners region until 400 years ago - they arrived roughly within 40 years of the Spanish - and they invaded the Pueblos and RAPED the Pueblo Women and destroyed the Pueblos and enslaved the Pueblo Boys .. the ANCIENT ANCESTORS that built Chaco and Mesa Verde are PUEBLO INDIAN - and ONLY Pueblo Indian -- they are NOT Navajo .. they are NOT Dine .. the Pueblo Indians DESPISE the word "anasazi" - it is DISRESPECTFUL to call the Ancient Puebloan Ancestors that built Chaco 'anasazi' - STOP using the word "anasazi" to refer to the Puebloan Culture .. the Hopi call them Hisatsinom .. most of the Puebloans call them - in public - around White People - "Ancient Ancestors" .. but NONE of the Pueblo People call them "anasazi" ..
Fabulous. I grew up in Texas near to the New Mexico border, and just looking at these pictures reminds me so strongly of the desert summers. Those skies.
I can well imagine how silent, how astonishing, visiting this place would be. Wonderful video
I spent a few weekends exploring Anasazi sites during the winter of 2000-2001 including Chaco itself (I was doing a project at the Navajo Power Station). The weekend I visited Chaco, I was literally the only person there. No other cars and I never saw a park ranger. So I was very careful hiking around since there would have likely have been no help if I had broken a leg. But being all alone with no bands of chattering tourists was actually very nice. A cloudless blue sky with the temperature around freezing and just a dusting of snow. One of the most memorable hikes of my life.
Standing at Panorama Point (highest point in Nebraska) in the wind with the nearest visible structure 5-6 miles away was enough to convince me I didn't really want a place out in the middle of Wyoming.
The attendance is low because the site is far from anything, you dont just stumble across it. Definitely enjoyed it.
It's a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque which has the state's only major airport for tourists. Very out of the way lol
30 miles from a paved road. The two entrance roads can close for days after rain
@@farmboy5129 I'm glad you mention that. When I went there nobody brought that up and the GPS takes you right to those dirt roads. It's a desolate area and even when there is no mud you will encounter some really sharp rocks. No cell phone signal or anyone on that road either.
The word 'Anasazi' was used to refer to these peoples. It's fallen out of favor, since it's a Navajo word meaning 'Ancient Enemy.' 'Ancestral Puebloans' seems to be the current term. (Note: the Pueblo peoples and the Navajos have historically never played well together.)
Wow it’s almost like they were slaughtering each other for centuries before Europeans ever showed up
Another example of how history has been rewritten to avoid , distort and cover up everything that happened in North America for the 4,000 years before Columbus.
According to navajo history the Anasazi were not from there. They came from the south and enslaved many peoples. The navajo were not bothered much because they were a large group of people. Most of the cliff dwelling people became navjo with their own clans. After the anasazi were there for around 300 years, thd other tribes defested them and destroyed them all. They even destroyed their structures. The navajo did not believe in slavery and actually bought many of the slaves from the Anasazi.
I misread the title as the "Rise and Quick Fall of Chicago". And now I have an idea for your next video.
The prehistory of major US metropolises: "Oh, hey, another mega-drought!" *dies again*
It's gonna be the modern history of post US southwestern cities too pretty soon.
My wife and I have been to Chaco Canyon, we spent a few days there camping and exploring. It is pretty awesome. Also, Simon - do a video on the Cliff Dwellings @ Mesa Verde in Colorado. I have been twice - they are fantastic and mind blowing. Amazing how many people see pics of them and think they are somewhere outside of the US.
I find it amazing that in 1066 (the year William the Conqueror invaded England) Europeans were still building hill forts out of timber while the Chaco civilization was building five-storey skyscrapers. We have *REALLY* got to drop Eurocentrism forever.
Europeans had enormous and extravagant castles during this time.
Europeans already had written language and they didn't
I'm 2:34 in...I'm hoping you talk about the stones with spirals and the windows that light up alcoves, both aligned to specific days of the year, and/or solstice and equinoxes.
The sun dagger!
He did show the super nova rock art
someone told me that those windows high up in the corners at strange angkes were also for air circulation
i have visited both Chaco Canyon and Gila. They are both very interesting places to visit. I think the reason they are under visited is because they are very isolated. This is a good thing because places that get over visited end up being damaged and restricted.
Simon, I love the show and really enjoy how in-depth you get on your topics, however I think you missed some of the most amazing parts about Chaco. I was able to visit in 2019 and what is truly amazing about the houses is how they are laid out to be perfectly aligned with solstices and equinoxes; not to mention that they are also aligned with the multiyear lunar cycle. While the kivas and the size of the structures are incredible in their own right, they are really seem insignificant to the fact that all the buildings in the complex are perfectly aligned, some even aligned without clear sight lines. I would recommend The Mystery of Chaco Canyon documentary to anyone that wants to learn more.
It is an amazing place, thank you for covering it! I hope it spurs more people to make the trek out there to see and try to understand such an amazing piece of North American history!
I still think there are dozens of massive structures to be found in the mississippi river valley. If you've ever lived out here you've seen the mounds. I see these gigantic outcropping in fields that would have certainly held significance whether as a landmark or spiritual site all the time. Yet I know many of them would not have been excavated or have been basically destroyed by agriculture.
If you're interested in the Mississippi tribe culture, please visit Dunbar Cave State Park online or in person. It's in Clarksville TN.
Several of the mounds in St Louis were destroyed for land fill…
@@allangibson2408 not at all surprised
I think you mean Cahokia. I wouldn't mind learning more about those, too.
There are definitely more like them to be excavated.
Mogollon. Pron: Mug eee own.
Cheers Simon.
This is an amazing video of Chaco Culture. I lived in Gallup which is only a about 40 miles from Chaco and is a great significance to our local people and history.
Love to see something on Cahokia culture. There are not "lack of examples' there is serious lack of knowledge and concern for pre-Columbian, societies. Great video though. thank you.
They missed that one. Too controversial for PC reasons.
What Kevin said.
The issue with the popular awareness of Cahokia culture is their building methods, climate, and geography where they built didn't preserve the ruins as well. There simply isn't as much that is readily obvious to laymen as in Chaco, even though there are numerous dig sites across a wide area. (Which is almost an inversion of what archeologists know about each - the Cahokia culture left more data that the *experts* can figure out.)
@@geodkyt I will concede some. Partially true. they did build with dirt and grass so it is quite diminished. HOWEVER. this is more reason, specifically to highlight their amazing pyramids and such while we can.
Moundville, Spiro, Muskogee, Etowah all tge SECC centers
Thank you for this video, Simon. I live in New Mexico and got excited when I this video. You once again did an amazing job and I have learned something new about my state.
Really left out the most interesting part of the canyon - the sheer geometry and astral observation required to build these places.
The buildings, spread across miles and miles of desert, are lined-up on both solar and lunar axis. They understood these concepts better than, frankly, 99.9% of human beings living today... and that is absolutely crazy.
thank you simon, i love when you do stuff on ancient america
Chaco Canyon is one of the best places I have ever visited! I'd love to go back and see it again. Native American history is a vast and varied subject. I'd love to see more informative videos about such things! Keeping native history alive in America hasn't exactly been a goal of our government in the past. It's up to people to learn and share. Thank you for doing so! ❤💯
@Seer-of-things end Aliens again?
This culture died out many many centuries ago
I love Chaco Canyon! It is really, really isolated, so you really feel like you’re in another time.
We drove there from Santa Fe, going through Los Alamos and crossing the Continental Divide on a dirt road. (We didn’t realize the highway was a dirt road until we were too far into the journey to turn back and take the main highways.) It was a beautiful drive, going through green valleys, mountain passes, and then flat desert.
The great houses there are mind-blowing. You can mostly just wander through them and explore everything - or at least you could when we went several decades ago. The petroglyphs on the cliffs were just as fascinating to me. In many ways, it’s good that so few people visit because it has kept the ruins in better condition.
I’ve been to Chaco Canyon and I can say, it makes my imagination run wild and I just stand in awe of the buildings and architecture
More people would visit Chaco Canyon if it didn't have a 26 mile very rough road to get to it. Chaco Bonito is built of millions of individual rocks. Seventy people didn't do that.
Why can't they build a decent road to get there?
@@luperamos7307 I've been there and it's extremely remote with no shade or water. It would be a huge endeavor to pave the entire road.
@@bmo9881 All the roads are paved in that area. Just the ones leading to Chaco are not. I was told it's because they go through tribal land.
@@luperamos7307 Right, the highways are paved. That explanation makes sense since it's a lot of private ranches on that road before you reach chaco.
@@bmo9881 Unfortunately it's not posted when you come up from the I40. I would have liked to see it, but the entire region there is pretty nice with lots of historic places.
Lots of great stories to be told in the southwest: Mesa Verde you mentioned but also Canyon de Chelly.
Which saved a Navajo tribe from the US Cavalry.
Having recently returned from a full day walk through 8 of the great houses, including the huge ceremonial center. Most of the video in the documentaries just can't really do justice to the incredibly fine masonry work and the fact that they all stood 3 to 5 stories tall. Or the running water in each home and sewer systems. Not to mention the irrigation of crops. I was there a month ago and it was absolutely amazing and sophisticated. The ceremonial dancing plaza is huge. You can easily imagine the dancing along with the ceremonial lodges. Those walls that seem 3 stories tall, are actually 4 and 5 stories tall. You can walk through the interior of the bottom rooms. Inner windows and exterior windows all over the place. Doorways with wood and masonry re enforced doors. If you ever have the chance to go to Chaco Canyon, it's worth. $20.00 per day is the fee for overnight camping. Campgrounds are literally around the corner from the Tourist Visitor Center. You can book tours with them. Or simply drive from one great house and hike around, then get back in the car and drive down the road a little way to the next one.
During my high school years I lived about a block from the Aztec Ruins in Aztec, NM. My father and I used to do a lot of exploring in the wilds around there. The entire area is littered with ruins that have never been excavated, maybe no one even knows many of them are there.
Considering I live in CA and have never heard of this place, I will definitely need to check it-out! Thank you Simon and Team!!
as you aren't far, i found the grand canyon just TOO big to take in, but up the road from there is zion national park, where the roads twist and turn i rock formations that look like they will fall on you at any moment, much more spectacular.
@@HarryNicNicholas Road trip! Thank you for the tip Harry!
That was very cool. Being a person of apache decent. It's always interesting to see how they lived. Thanks again for the awesome video.
I read a report that thinks Chaco was actually kind of a tourist trap that had gambling. Meaning Chaco was old Las Vegas for the Native Americans . That is the reason these huge megastructures at the time were occupied by so few people. This also why they have found artifacts from all over north and south America. Basically the ruins of Chaco Canyon was your elaborate hotels-casino's you see today in Las Vegas!
we've come full circle, its both hilarious and comforting to know that humans havent changed all that much over the centuries
What happens in Chaco, stays in Chaco.
@@carlramirez6339 it makes you wonder what really happened in those kiva pits! Lol. But that is seriously the leading theory of Chaco. Think about Vegas today, they have big elaborate buildings in the middle of the desert. The only way they could service is getting people to come their with goods. What better way right!
@@coreytaylor447 yeah I guess there is a lot of evidence that very few people lived there on a full time basis. They have also found evidence of a gambling going on and the rooms where more temporary than permanent. So it was either a major religious site or more like a Las Vegas . It's hard to tell but they have found Macaw bones there and coco. So clearly people from south or Central America traveled up there for some reason. Although they do find things related to religion, the find an awful lot of artifacts related to games to. Including games only thought to be in central and South America. Because they found artifacts from all over and Native Americans had their own gods and religions, they are learning more to a tourist gambling city than a religious site.
I think you are misinterpreting the term gamblers house. My understanding is the Navajo, recent arrivals to the area told the Spanish the devil lived there. This was translated to the gambler lived there. The Navajo arrived in the area centuries after Chaco collapsed. Their creation myth claims otherwise
14:30 This pictogram is common and marks the real-life sighting of SN1006, a supernova that was visible across the world in the year 1006 CE. It is equally possible that some or all of them depict instead SN1054.
These videos are so good and interesting! I'd love to see you Simon to make a Megaprojects report about the construction of the man-made city of Brasília.
As always this was a very well presented and interesting subject, thanks.
A good, general-purpose look at Chaco Canyon and it's environs.
You should do a piece on the Mound-Builder People's civilization. Some of the (visualized) sites/structures are *way* impressive!
Still going to do this until it's made, you should do the ITER nuclear fusion reactor or Nuclear Fusion in general.
Stop being annoying. He'll do it if he wants to.
@@mirzaahmed6589 At least ITER is actually a megaproject. Most of these megaprojects are not "mega" at all. We need a new channel called "American defence company products". Also I'm not some ITER fanboy, ITER is EU funded and I do not like the EU!
Possibly when they actually get it to work… Fusion power has been promised for 70 years now (always 20 years away)…
Video idea:
DEW line
I've been wanting to visit Chaco for years, preferably in the fall or spring. Thanks for the this video, it's inspiring me to just do it.
be sure to call the visitors center first to check on road conditions as when it rains/snowdls the road is impassible. theyre super helpful
Nice to see this one pop up on one of your sites! Long fascination for me. Such an amazing place.
Thanks for showcasing the area. It interests me so much, I will visit it!
This is just down the road from me!! awesome that you did a video on it.
Thanks
Fascinating, thank you 👍🏻
This desert has pinyon pine and I like the nuts. Yucca is food, the sides of the irrigation always has leafy greens. The elk and deer are good meat. I can eat all day long as I walk. Never full but not starving. A few leaves of dandelion, polenta, with some pinyon nuts and a guy can keep up with a hunting party without suffering much. The place is a garden of food if you know. Never a bounty always a bite or two. The pine nuts are so good for you. It is easy to find some under each tree. Fill a pocket and while walking you can have a good meal. I think they baked pinyon, ground corn flat bread. It sounds good. The original sports energy bar. You must see the homes of the old people. Without the environment one can not understand how well they lived. It was a demanding life but not hard.
1:30 - Chapter 1 - Chaco today
2:50 - Chapter 2 - The basketmaster people
5:05 - Chapter 3 - Ancestral puebloans
5:50 - Chapter 4 - Chaco
6:35 - Chapter 5 - Great houses
8:30 - Chapter 6 - Pueblo bonito
10:40 - Chapter 7 - Other great houses & kivas
11:45 - Chapter 8 - Far reaching
13:55 - Chapter 9 - Chaco's decline
Mesa Verde next?
This place is definitely on my bucket list!
I love the fact that when archeologists say something has a religious or ceremonial purpose, most of the time they have no idea what it was used for
Sounds better than “I / We don’t know”
Your comment is hardly original, or profound. Not edgy or especially intelligent either, given the relative importance of religios observances have been, and still are.
The general consensus is "if in doubt, religious, ceremonial or sex"
They actually are believing Chaco Canyon was a tourist place were people traveled to gamble and watch and play games. They now think this was actually a kind of Las Vegas for the Native Americans from North and South America!
Future archeologist will find our sports stadiums and think the same thing. And they won't be wrong.
One of the two reasons I moved to New Mexico is because of Chaco Canyon. It is my favorite place in this state. One of my favorite places I have ever been.
I have visited Chaco, Mesa, Bandelier, Gila, Pecos, Walnt, and many other incredible sites. Many are 25 miles down a dirt road but well worth the trip. I prefer winter with lots of layers, good hiking boots, camera, at least twice as much water as you think you will need and adequate food, there are no marts or fast-food. An annual national park pass and map are great. Do not expect connectivity everywhere, unless you have a satellite phone.
This was awesome. I will be doing a long trip this fall and i think i will add this to my places to see !!! Thanks
Make sure to study the sun dagger, something they failed to cover in this video is what accomplished astronomers they were. Truly mind bending stuff when you delve into it.
Have a fun and safe trip this fall! If you come to Santa fe contact me ahead of time. I do e-bike tours and will gladly show you around
Megaprojects, great video! Enjoy your Sunday!💯🙏👐
Who needs schoolbooks when you've got SW and his myriad of channels?
I learned more during covid then I did in high school. Because of Simon. Been watching his videos for years.
His channel lacks any real depth. At least read the wiki page :)
@@tomx641 You like it deep, eh, Tommy?
I loved the place..we went to Montezuma's Castle on the same trip, a 1200 a.d. cliff dwelling, South West of Chaco..and Casa Grande, a 1350 a.d. ruins were just up the road from Tucson, where I lived at the time.
Some of the best content on TH-cam. I wish more people had interesting topics
Can you do a vid on The Quabbin dam in Massachusetts? it holds most of Boston's freshwater.
I'd say infrequent visitation to Chaco, in comparison to other places, isn't a bad thing. Just look at what tourism is doing to places like Stonehenge
Excellent report... Chaco has been on my bucket list for several years. Perhaps this year.....
Mess with the chaco, you get the smacko
Earlier today I watched a TOM GREEN video where he visited this place. Marked on my Google Maps as WANT TO GO.
Now tonight the video pops up in my news feed.
Excellent presentation. 👍🏻
Before today, I’d never heard of it.
The differentiation of the Basket Era 3 is that they incorporated WiFi into their baskets.
No that's Basket Era 5
@@MaceG2024 Which brought about the downfall of the civilization following the rapid spread of a mysterious disease.
SUGGESTION: Ilyushin IL-2
- The single most produced military aircraft in aviation history
- Visionary WWII ground-attack "flying tank" and spiritual predecessor to the A-10 Warthog
- Some WWII German nicknames for it: "meat grinder", "butcher", "black death", "slaughterer", "concrete bird"
- What Stalin had to say about it: "Our Red Army now needs IL-2 aircraft like the air it breathes, like the bread it eats."
I thought this was going to be about Chaco in Argentina. I mean, I'm not disappointed, but a little. Haha
Visited in 2019, this was a great place to visit but do be prepared. It's miles from the nearest store, and you can pretty much forget having cell service. Very neat to explore though!
I say this as someone who uses the gaudy imperial system, but it would flow better if you just stick to metric or imperial when speaking and put the conversion on the screen (as you do already).
Your contributions have been noted. Signed - Metric countries
Could you do one day video about the black Wall Street please
What is that?
Maybe that's a good thing. Less destruction by tourists.
Awesome , was there this month AMAZING ! jss
I’m surprised you didn’t mention Fajada Butte. It was a great part of their daily lives.
Good video. Awesome site. I wish you would have mentioned the sun dagger.
YEAH NEW MEXICO!!!!!!! Thank you Simon Hahah
If you ever have a chance to visit here it is truly amazing. It is well worth the drive
I'm from New Mexico and it's awesome to see you feature one of our landmarks!!!!!!
Thank you Simon ! 🧐
I’d love to see #megaprojects and or #weirdhistory dig into the Zulu people. I’ve always been fascinated by the Shaka era for I think obvious reasons. 😂 I remember watching sort of a docu-series on PBS when I was a kid back in the 80’s. 😂 I was a weird kid
You weren't weird. TV was just way better back then.....................
Can you please make a video on delhi metro ...it also has a very big network lengtg approx 350 km ...we would love to see the video
nice choice!! its a great place to visit
Simon and John Oliver are two Englishmen that have done more to educate the US about its own history/national matters and etc than any other actual American... The irony!
Thank you Simon! And of course all the wonderful folks that are part of the Simon Whistler TH-cam team!
Background musak was a bit intrusive there.
Adding to my bucket list & checking it twice ✔️✅
Have a nice day 😈
Food for thought: the stacked-stone structures of Chaco Canyon are in stark contrast to the more typical mud-brick (adobe) construction of the prevailing cultures. Where did this more sophisticated construction method originate? Where else in meso America was this method of construction common?
I hope you make a video on the people who made Mesa Verde. I've been there several times and is quite a sight to see and walk through.
I would love to see you do a video about Etzanoa on one of your channels. Huge archaeological site in Kansas. Once home to the Wichita people.
I remember watching another video and this was one of the stopping points on the way down from the land bridge between Alaska and Siberia. I remember they continued south, can anyone help me out with what the name of the next big settlement was? Tenochtitlán or Teotihuacán?
I'm sorry, did the writer of this video just forget about Mesa Verde?
Or hopefully they are saving it for it's own video - cause Mesa Verde certainly deserves it. I was just there for another visit a couple weeks ago.
The collapse of the so-called Chaco Phenomenon is indeed very intriguing. But it's even more intriguing to find out what exactly drove the Chacoans to construct all these elaborate buildings for no more than 1200 people in the first place ! If we knew more about this, we might understand the collapse a bit better. However, I think you should have told us more about the collapse. It's not quite true, that there are no clues! At the bottom of this is most likely a natural disaster in form of a prolongued draught and subsequent famines. But there are also unmistakable signs of internal war fare, and there must've been a good reason for all these lofty cliff dwellings with a spectacular view. But while the great view might've been the whole point of these villages, they must've been very unpractical for living there permanently - and as it turned out, they didn't stay in their eagle's nest for a long time. Even if they could see intruders coming in, they still needed to make a living. And in the end they might've decided, that the Chaco-Phenomenon had lost it's magic, and the survivers went away in order to start a new life with a different belief system.
Interesting in that the name "Anasazi" is a Navajo term for ancient enemy and doesn't really appear prior to the late 19thCE. Should be replaced with "“Ancestral Puebloan”.
Quite. I live in the area and many of the descendants (and current residents) of the Pueblos find the name "Anasazi" to be extremely offensive.
After you visit Chaco and are blown away by what is there to see - dig deeper into how much of the site is still under the soil. Actually a majority of the site is not visible. This is a result of an archaeological decision by the Park Service based on the need to preserve what is known to be there but unseen.
Ground penetration techniques have been used to map many more artifacts and buildings.
Chaco is, in my opinion one of the wonders of the world. I visited there for a planned two days and ended up staying five days and left in a state of awe and wonder.
...Why awe? Looks like primitive art and atrocious brickwork.
@@zoopdterdoobdter5743 Chaco is amazing, I love going there. It inspires awe in those who have the mental facilities to appreciate what came before them - given your comment you obviously don't or are a poor example of a troll.
Add this to my bucket list of places to visit
We visited Chaco Canyon & were impressed. Visitation would increase if there were adequate roads going into park. It's worth the more than 1 hour trek across rutted, almost non-roads to get there.
I feel like you healed extremely fast from the mountain bike accident. #beardblaze
Although I am from Indiana, my Mom spent several years in a Pueblo area (not Chaco), and was interested in them so passed on that info to me. She hoped I would be just as interested in them. I do like the culture, but it is not my main interest. It is weird to hear someone else talk about this culture in such detail. I think it is great.
The Navajo people have an oral tradition that Chaco Canyon is where they kept slaves. They believe it is a evil haunted place.
Amazing place...also Chimney Rock in Colorado, and Aztec, in New Mexico, are other great Chacoan sites.
Excellent
I got a theory that might interest you, I think there was a silk road pre Europeans in the Americas that went from southern Canada down to Colombia. After learning about the Aztecs booking it south planting corn along the way like Johnny apple seed until they found modern Mexico city and the Yucatan areas and learning about the Mississippian Indians and hearing stories about Aztec carvings and corn up in Wisconsin it made me wonder? Different tribes and groups had similar cultures and diets and would have similar items or tools and weapons at times it got me thinking what if you had the upper Native tribes up in Canada, then you hit Wisconsin to Milwaukee to Chicago to st louis down the Mississippi to the gulf and curve around through Louisiana and Texas south west and then into Mexico if you keep going south you hit mexico city. Oddly enough almost that whole root has corn or once had corn. Corn doesnt grow its self it needs humans and like I said before we have found stuff that doesnt add up unless there was trade from north to south or south to north. Exotic bird feathers found in a place in America they dont belong with some native tribe or Aztec looking items and carvings in Wisconsin, yucatan obsidian spear or arrow heads found up in the united states or Canada, weaird shit like that where its like if there wasnt trade then 1 banished Aztec booked it north and died solo in the Americas? doubt it. I think there was a trade root in America at around 800 ad to 1500 ad give or take a few 100 years. Maybe it was even older and the Aztecs fallowed it to the southern most point the gulf and then went further into Mexico expanding the American silk road later on, or maybe the trade root is even older! Then think about other old native sights like Chaco, they coulda had a trade root that went east to the Mississippi maybe to stalk up on wood and corn? trade some turquois or silver? I think thats waiting to be proved, the Pre American silk road. Id love to see someone look into my theory because the more I learn the more it proves me right, I never seem to come across something new where Im like naw that doesnt fit, its always more silk road evidence when I learn new things or discoveries.
Chaco is amazing. I visited it once and it's mind boggling and leaves you with so many questions.