June 14, 2010 -- I'm not going to hold back, Aztec National Monument is one of my favorite pueblo ruins destinations. I've actually been to the site a couple of times and am more fasinated each time I visit. With ruins sprawled out across an easily accessible 27 acre complex, Aztec National Monument is a great introduction into Pueblo culture for just about any visitor.
The park has an interpretive trail that highlights the unique structures and gives insightful commentary on scientific and native american interpretation of the site.
Interpretation has always been a challenge for those exploring the site. Originally thought to be the ruins of the Aztec by early white settlers, history has refutted any connection to the Aztecs yet the name remains.
The site nearly 55 miles north of Chaco Canyon, has over 400 rooms and multiple kivas.
Inside the cool rooms are connecting passages and the mortar holding carefully placed stone still have the impressions of the hands that originally constructed the impressive complex.
Many mysteries continue to haunt Aztec ruins. My paricular favorite is the meaning and purpose of a section of the complex that accentuates two horizontal bands of black rock in the construction of an outer wall.
For most the highlight of Aztec Ruins National Monument is the reconstructed Great Kiva. One of the largest kivas in the SouthWest the Great Kiva at Aztec has been rebuilt and provides an exceptional view into the possibilities of the past.
For more on Aztec National Monument the following site provides some great information.
