Picture of the week

Remains of Pueblo Bonito

At Chaco Canyon in New Mexico you will find the remains of an ancient Anasazi city. It is the largest establishment of these pueblo indians in the southwest.   The image above is of the largest structure: Pueblo Bonito.  If you look closely, it appears that at one point this structure was three stories tall.  This quite impressive given the application of sandstone brickwork and ponderosa pine timbers that once existed here. In places the brickwork is highly refined as exemplified by the image on the right.  This would be necessary in order to maintain the stability of these taller walls without toppling over.  In other areas more outward, it appears the workmanship looks a bit more sloppy. Perhaps this is the product of work by the later generations toward the time closer to when the civilization here collapsed between 1150 and 1200 AD? 

Chaco Canyon has been studied at great length to learn more about the signficance of this city with cultures of the southwest, the pueblo people that lived here, and why did it ultimately get abandoned. One of the dominant theories as documented in Jared Diamond's book Collapse, is that the people here over-extended their use of the available natural resources as the population grew. This in combination with a long duration drought apparently resulted in massive crop failures, leading to an upheaval with the population that could no longer be supported. In the more fertile times Chaco Canyon contained ponderosa pine trees and a broad river. Ultimately the trees disappeared due to overuse, the soils became more depleted, and the river level dropped below that necessary for crop irrigation due to this extended drought combined with non-sustainable use. 

You can see more images and learn more about Chaco Canyon in a travelogue I have previously documented here.

All content and images are property of Stephen Fischer Photography, copyright 2014.  Last updated: 12/25/2014   ()