Dinetah Pueblitos, New Mexico

[Stephanie B]

My husband, Blake, and I recently went to the Farmington, NM, area in search of ruins and rock art (and sun!). While we weren't entirely successful in our quest for sun, we did see some interesting glyphs and dwellings.

Below are some photos from the trip. If interested, here's a link to information on the ruins: Dinetah Defensive Sites

First up, we checked out some of the panels in Crow Canyon. We got a late start that day so we didn't go beyond the first area right at the mouth of the canyon (on the north):








Unusual birds:


Fancy garb:


Great head-dress:


Corn:




Francis Ruin was the most extensive site that we visited. It had a commanding view of the canyon over which it stood. The tower (back right, tallest structure) used to be 3 stories tall, but is now only 2.


A once-stuccoed fireplace:


Intact roof:


Tower built on top of sandstone:


A more difficult to find site is Christmas Tree Ruin. It sits a few benches below the canyon rim:


It's different from the other ruins in that it sits in an alcove:




The second Citadel site we've been to (the first being in Cedar Mesa). I seem to recall that there's a third site with the same name, but it escapes me at the moment:


T-shaped doorway:


A view from below. Very defensible:


Two "buildings" connected by an inner courtyard:


Boulder Fortress left us puzzled as to how one would enter the site as it was sitting on top of very tall, sheer walls. I wouldn't have wanted to leap from the adjacent slab of sandstone!

 

[Miya]

Great to see that history. Thanks for sharing! Some of those petroglyphs look like they are in really great shape!

 

[Absarokanaut]

Outstanding, thanks for sharing.

 

[Ben]

sweet

 

[Outdoor_Fool]

Looks like an awesome place. Excellent photos. Thanks.

 

[Stephanie B]

Looks like an awesome place. Excellent photos. Thanks.

It is a place worth further exploration. And in the two days we were out we saw only one other couple.

Oh, and thanks for the compliment. I only wish our photos were as good as other folks' here on this site!

 

[John Morrow]

I had no idea that the Navajo ever built pueblo like units. Thanks for the education.

 

[Stephanie B]

I had no idea that the Navajo ever built pueblo like units. Thanks for the education.

Us neither! And what we found even more interesting is that the Navajo employed some of the same design elements as the Ancient Puebloans (e.g. T-shaped doorways), even though they aren’t descendants of those folks.

 

[John Morrow]

Us neither! And what we found even more interesting is that the Navajo employed some of the same design elements as the Ancient Puebloans (e.g. T-shaped doorways), even though they aren’t descendants of those folks.

Whoa, T-shaped doorways! For the bad juju most Navajos find Pueblo II and III dwellings that is a big surprise to me.

 

[The Trout Whisperer]

Thank you for th report and wonderful info...we’ll be heading out to those in the future...

 

[Stephanie B]

Thank you for th report and wonderful info...we’ll be heading out to those in the future...

If you don't already have this publication, be sure to check it out before you go. Also, be prepared to do a fair amount of driving to get from one pueblito to another. Have fun and be safe!

Steph

http://www.aztecnm.com/archaeology/index.html