Aztec Ruins is one of many small villages between Mesa Verde and Chaco. The community was built and inhabited over a 200-year period. It is the largest Ancestral Pueblo community in the Animas River valley. The village is concentrated on and below a terrace overlooking the Animas River. The villagers built several multi-story buildings known as “great houses,” as well as smaller structures. Associated with each great house was a “great kiva”—a large circular chamber used for ceremonies. | New Me

Aztec Ruins National Monument is not nearly as well known as the nearby Chaco Culture National Historic Site, but it is still spectacular and fascinating. Join Sandia Mountain Natural History Center to explore this amazing site. To watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/H0Zu1nxMlsY #AztecRuins #NationalMonument #puebloan #pueblo #AncientSettlement #indigenous #nps #NationalParkService #NPS #history #historic #NewMexicoHistory #history #archaeology #humanhistory #AncientCity #indigenoushis