Aztec Ruins National Monument

It was cloudy and cool when we set off for Aztec Ruins, but that didn’t last long and soon the sun was shining again.

After visiting the museum and watching the orientation video, the rangers give you a guide and you take the walking tour around and through the ruins at your own pace.

 The ruins have an unusual building that has triple sided walls, the reason for the triple sided walls is not known, sections of the walls are visible but as with a lot of the site after excavation it was backfilled for preservation.

Part of the trail leads through an interior section which is thought to have been used for trash or storage,

Doors leading further into the interior are covered with perspex to stop you wandering around indiscriminately.   Beyond the perspex one of the doors still has remnants of the original woven covering in place.  The photograph is a bit grainy but you can just about make it out.

Ceilings were made with huge wooden supports, on top of which were smaller poles covered with some sort of brush type stuff and finally finished off with mud stamped on top.   Dried mud is still visible between the poles.

The central plaza contains a reconstruction of how archaeologists once thought a kiva would look,

Although it is now thought that the ceiling would have been lower.   It was very interesting.

Have fun, we are!