As a person in a wheelchair, thank you so much for visiting, documenting (with video) AND, most importantly, talking about what you are showing! Your video is great. Thank you so very much.
@@CactusAtlas bad hip here , so NO WAY i climb that cliff.... anyway , i heard years ago that the Sahara was once a lush , green landscape , but had been "used up" by overpopulation ....i think perhaps the area may have been rich forest , thus as attractive as the country to the immediate north......... a hungry , progressive people had decimated the trees for building and cooking.....it was a pretty sophisticated culture , but like we , couldn't think ahead......maybe the end came when they'd used it up.... this is w/o mentioning that "climate change " happens cyclically , and w/o automobiles , so it may have been a wetter time.....just a thought
How cool! It's got to be really awesome to have the know-how about masonry and take a look at old structures like Chaco. We lack that knowledge but agree that it's pretty impressive. 😊
It's an amazing location and hard not to feel affected by it, regardless of one's spiritual beliefs. Just the enormity, craftsmanship, and dedication to it is awe inspiring! 😄
Great to see your Chaco canyon trip. I was born in Farmington NM in 1952. I worked all over that area of NM in the early 70's as a drilling fluids engineer in the oil and natural gas industry. That area of NM is covered in ruins. Really fascinating.
Loving this Longer format. Gotta say the longer I watch this the more I'm seeing so many comparison's to Göbekli Tepe. We can see that the cliff's have eroded & collapsed I wonder how many caves have never been found yet. The T doorways remind me of the T's at Göbekli Tepe. Thank You So much for everything you do Glenn & great editing as Always Amy .
Always so interesting when you're able to compare and find similarities to places that span distance and time, isn't it? Don't think that the long format will be a common thing... just REALLY hard to condense a place as large as Chaco to a shorter form video. 😊
So glad to see I am not the only one noticing the comparison! I am completely awestruck by the similarities, especially other sites in the region like the reconstructed Great Kiva at Aztec National Monument or the partially buried ruins of the Salmon site looking shockingly similar to buried Karahan Tepe as well as all the other ancient networked sites in Turkey! It's deeply moving to even consider that these ancient people's share a cultural heritage...there are just too many instances of duality to deny that the roots of civilization extend much farther in time, cultural and spiritual practices remaining largely unchanged over thousands of years, especially now with new evidence that the ancient network within ancient Anatolia are seemingly derived from Ancient North Siberians and with the peopling of the Americas continually being pushed back further in time, where did it originate and how long ago? Such an incredible story. I can't wait to see it for myself!!
Cool place. Rough road getting there. My daughter worked there a couple of years ago. She was involved in monitoring the cliffs. Not to prevent them from falling but as a warning so that visitors would not be injured. We were able to visit her for a couple of days.
A sipapu (a Hopi word, Ancestral Puebloans) was a small hole or indentation in the floor of a kiva (pithouse). The sipapu symbolizes the portal through which their ancient ancestors first emerged to enter the present world.
I thank you for that time and research and detail you included for this amazing Great House in New Mexico!! Very good work, thank you! I was there in the late 90's. You answered alot of my questions ❤!
Very interesting tour of Chaco Canyon, I passed up the opportunity to visit it on vacation. Now I wish I had stopped. The history amazes me. Great video, as always Many Thanks.
Hopefully next time? 😄 Granted the drive in is not one for the faint of heart. It's not terrible or anything one needs an off road vehicle for, but it is certainly long and unpaved. 😅
That place looks incredible. So beautiful and amazing. Thanks for all the info on Chacó Canyon. Love your videos. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us. Stay safe.
I've studied and visited this site (living in Durango,Co)....Your presentation and information is SOO much more than I have found! Fantastic! Thank you so much!
Great video, love seeing all these structures! One small correction, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, shown at ~15:06, were built AFTER the Chaco Canyon Great Houses had been abandoned, with the Chacoans moving to Mesa Verde after mysteriously abandoning Chaco, rather than the other way around. If you're interested in learning some more about the archaeology (and particularly the archeoastronomy) of this region, I have a video on my channel about the topic (I also talk about the purpose of those corner windows you point out!).
@@danielconquer909 Chaco Canyon wasn't fully abandoned until the 15th century, but the population began to dwindle after around 1130, with much of the population travelling to Mesa Verde, as confirmed by archaeological evidence - the population swelled and there was an increase in goods brought in from far away. The Mesa Verde cliff dwellings were built in the archaeological period called Pueblo III, which followed Pueblo II, the period when the Great Houses of Chaco Canyon were built.
Very nicely done, once again.... but you missed the whole carved stairways and ancient roads on top leading off from the canyon to other cultural settlements! That was one of the coolest things for me. Chaco was the center of a huge wheel with spokes leading out. It was a trading post for the entire SW.
Unfortunately we're likely to miss a lot of things because of time. On the flipside, always gives us a reason to return to places which we don't mind. 😄
@@CactusAtlas Not criticizing, just letting you know. You seemed so interested in finding out the "purpose" of Chaco, and the roads are part of the explanation.
It is my understanding there was more rainful during the time Chaco was at its height -making gainful farming more imaginable. PS- Loved the video - nice work!
No doubts that climate has changed in areas over time affecting what we see now and what was then. Take a look at a place like Petrified Forest National Park... it's hard to imagine millions of years ago it being under water! Granted that is millions of years as opposed to centuries but it still blows my mind.
Apparently there was a drought and they over hunted the area, but others say it was a political change and war that forced them to leave. Dr.Steven Lekson has awesome presentations about Chaco on here.
Was there a couple weeks ago. Was impressed by how nice the right angles are in the doorways and such. Wasn't expecting that. Same with the little+big rock patterns.
Well done. 44:00 minute went by fast. That’s a sign of a good show. I have a feeling that the Kiva culture was to these people as the ancient amphitheaters where to classic Greece. In other words: SHOW TIME. There are seasons of the year when the work load is less and we have time to gather together and tell our stories. The Kiva was the theater, the stage for this. Just like Shakespeare playhouse in old London. Our stories unify us as a people, a culture, a community. You did a nice job on this video. I like your humility. Sincerely, Pete
Thanks for sharing your tour of Chaco.. my husband and I were there many years ago.. there wasnt a ranger on site. You revealed some new insights to several things there. Thanks.. would love to be able to revisit, but age has advanced!!
Great 👍 job, Glen. Thank you for showing your passion for this sacred place called CHACO. My husband and I visited here a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it but missed a few places. Chaco deserves at least a couple of days exploration. Many Thanks.
Chaco canyon is such a magical place! I’ve only been there once and I was injured so I couldn’t get around much. I’ve been wanting to get back there and camp. It saddens me though to see all the natural gas refineries that are cropping up around Chaco. I hope they can keep it protected
Great video! LOVE Chaco Canyon, been there twice, will return. For more info, an excellent book is People of Chaco: A Canyon and Its Culture by Kendrick Frazier.
I saw this as a quick stop on another video, but I'm so glad I watched your video with all it's history. Now I can see how rewarding this would be to go see. Thanks for sharing and great job. cheers
Nice video. The alternating of the stones from large to small is called banded masonry. It gives the wall much greater strength. Super advanced masonry technique for the time period.
A few years ago I was surprised to learn at the Tuzigoot National Monument in Cottonwood, AZ that tropical birds thrived along the Verde River until the late 1800's when they were all killed for their feathers. It is possible that these tropical birds existed farther north so it is not surprising that their feathers were found at Chaco Canyon.
Awesome video dude! I live 2 and half hours away from Chaco Canyon.. But I’m sure I’ll never get to visit this place… Thanks for showing an up close video!!
That's so interesting when looking into the dwelling "basement"; I was thinking, "ah, get out of there man, I don't think that's a good place to be..." then you remarked that it felt "eerie" and the hairs on your neck were alerting you--yeah energy can adhere to form, that place has vibes, sometimes it's best to stay away from a dark vortex like that. But still, we and I include myself are curious about history. It's possible that initially it was a garden sanctuary that was taken over at a later date by a people in a downward spiral. Thank you so much for sharing your video;
Was there 3-4x in the 80's & 90's as I lived in both Durango and Farmington. Watching your video brought back good memories. Back in the day there was almost a natural walk up to the top of the wall overlooking Pueblo Bonita . Got some great photos from this viewpoint. Walking on the top of the Mesa you could almost still see the indentations of the roads lead towards Aztec ( and also other roads believed to be trading routes back then as it was quite a cultural and trade center. Lastly, others watching probably don't have a sense of how remote this area really is. Great video 3/20/23
Ya probably not a good place to be LOL. They traded with the native Mexicans, not only goods, but also culture. It's probably verboten nowadays, but when my MiL was there in the 1950s they openly told them how there was evidence of human sacrifice and cannibalism. There's evidence of this all over the SW during certain periods. Now I'm pretty sure they won't even talk about it. I've read academic papers trying to disprove what's obvious, trying to contrive why there are cut and cooking marks on human bones, all sorts of excuses and hemming and hawing. It's bloody obnoxious, literally and figuratively. Heh. We're planning a trip there later this year. Gonna try to camp there and not to get too creeped out.
Thanks for this video. I am reading Anasazi America by David E Stuart. The reading is a little dry, but the video clears up the book a lot. The book is about 250 pages and I am not sure I will finish. But I am definitely re-reading chapter 5, The Chaco Phenomenon. Thinking about going to Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde possibly in 2024.
Amazing site. Was here the night before a new moon, and found out I was at an internationally recognized dark space. There was a plethora of telescopes, old and new preparing for the next evenings sky show. Be well
I am so glad I found your channel! Your in-depth research you do kept us watching intensely and excited. We will be traveling there in Sept on our way thru eastern Utah and western Colorado. What time was your visit? Weather looks great and no people!
Awesome! Thank you! We try our best to do research but as with many of these older sites, sometimes things vary - especially things such as purpose or what life was like then. This video was filmed in July of last year. We include the date videos were filmed in descriptions to help people out (us too! It's so easy to forget when we went places. 😅). Hope your trip is a fantastic one there!
I had the priviledge to visit Chaco in the summer of 2019.It is a mysterious and awsome place. For generations to have laboured to create this place is amazing! Seems to me it was a place of "protection" (from what I do not know),a sacred place to retreat into for a limited time period... One note practical note; the gravel road into the canyon is a very rough ride, so be aware.
I have seen parts of this site as a child & seen a lot of videos & information & it still fascinates me! For me it is the rectangular doors & windows & the size of structures! Recently archeologists have discovered some clay vessels that according to one of the archeologists has a residue of cocoa beans in them; they sent samples to the HERSHEY company in Pennsylvania & their labs confirmed that it is cocoa residue! The Anasazi evidently had hot chocolate on cold N.M. winter nights! How long did it take to build all those structures??? No wonder that N.M. is the Land of Enchantment!
Fascinating! The beauty of that area seems ideal for sitting with a cup of hot cocoa in chilly evenings while admiring a hard day's work of constructing those amazing structures. Thanks for sharing! 😄
Thanks so much for posting this video. I've watched several on Chaco and really enjoyed your tour. I'm inspired to head to Chaco this year and have a look. So fascinating. There are many small ruins around my neck of the woods in AZ, including Tonto, but chaco is just mind blowing in it's size and scope. I need to do some research on Kivas. I know they seem to always be associated with religion, but I wonder too if they weren't equally as important just as a social gathering place. That is the fun of seeing these things, to ponder what was going on.
Thanks for this fascinating video! I'm sure the builders of that place never did anything without good reason. It's possible the significance and purpose of the site varied over time while it retained its overall importance.
I imagine you are spot on with your statement. Given that it was built over generations, I would have to imagine that plans and reasons changed. And yes... everything there seemed to have some reason to it, even if it isn't immediately obvious. 😊
@@CactusAtlas it reminds me a lot of that abandoned pre-Columbian city in the desert of northern Peru. Although the sites are separated by about 3000 years I suspect the story of their rise and fall (ie prolonged drought) is very similar.
Wow i cant wait to go i just went to the gila cliff dwellings last weekend and been to Bandileir a couple times but never chaco canyon and im from Albuquerque so its only a 3 hour drive but loved the video keep up the great work!!!👌
@@CactusAtlas yeah im planning on going next month then from there to the Aztec ruins and then hopefully get up to Mesa Verde. Is there camp sites near Chaco Culture??
That's pretty much the trip we took when we filmed at those locations (though Mesa Verde was an impromptu stop during some weather that changed our plans). Indeed there is camping at Chaco Canyon! Gallo Campground. We also made a video about that one too. Not the largest campground but it's pretty awesome camping right next to a few smaller old structures.
Just did a look-up on the wood and experts have determined that those trees came from the Zuni Mountains approximately 50 miles south of Chaco Canyon. That's an admirable feat to bring those logs, some of them quite large, such a long distance.
Just went there a month ago. Only about 20 people there it was outstanding , awesome and humbling . I reviewed this video before I went and it was definately helpful. I reviewed it again after my experience there. Thank you for doing this. I have to say that the drive in and out of there was awful especially the 21 mile route the southern exit. I called ahead of time to check on the road conditions and checked the NPS website too. When I started reciting my "Hail Mary's" on the road to exit I knew this was a bad trouble. I live on a farm so I know bad roadsand ruts. Be sure to check on this before you go. I had a all wheel drive Nissian and didn't get stuck but it was tricky. I did not see a single vehicle coming in and or going out. I had humor myself so I would stop complaining and would recommend this road to any perspective couple that is thinking about a life commitment- guarantee there will be some intense conversations. Since I was solo I could only yell at myself- really not helpful.Once your there it is totally worth it and a unique experience regarding human history.
I have to wonder for how many people that road is a deterrent to visiting. It's kind of nice because if you have the ability to traverse it, you're fairly likely to have a quiet experience like you did. On the other hand, it's such an amazing place that more people really should check it out. Glad that you had a good time (minus the drive). 😄👍
From Australia here the chaco canyon story full of mystery and full of the unknown look in all due respect. Tell us what you all were doing there thanks
6:30 I may be wrong but I think Brian Fagan in his book Chaco Canyon dates most major construction from 850 to 1150 AD (not 950 to 1250). By mid 12th century (1150 or so they were well into a major drought and most people had left.
This video brought back great memories of a trip my husband and I took to New Mexico in 2015. If you get a chance, go to Aztec NM and see a reproduction of an actual Kiva. Quite interesting.
@@CactusAtlas obviously, my comment came before I watched the entire video. lol.. thanks so much for showing ALL of Chaco. So much I couldn't physically reach, but awesome to see in this video.
Truly an amazing place!! I wonder if the climate was different there during the time of building and occupation? Perhaps the annual rainfall level was such that to successfully grow crops in the area? I'll have to research and hopefully a study has been done. Also, perhaps the annual rainfall decreased over time leading to abandonment.
Two years ago we were in the neighborhood and staid in Farmington, N.M. The campground owner told us it was impossible to go to Chaco canyon because we were driving an RV. Plus he said, Aztec Ruins is closer and more beautiful so we went there. I am happy to have seen Chaco now. Thank you for this great video. Is it impossible to go there in an RV? Can you tell me about the roads and the conditions of them? Thank you.
Hmm. CAN a RV make the drive to Chaco? Possibly. Is it going to be comfortable and risk-free? Nope. And conditions are likely to change at the drop of a hat ESPECIALLY if there's been rain. Most people who advise RVs not to go are usually correct. That said, we really aren't comfortable saying whether people should or shouldn't go (especially since it has been quite some time since we went). However, the rangers at Chaco Canyon are super about keeping on top of road conditions and it is always recommended to give them a call and ask about current conditions. In general, the road is a bit rough, with quite a bit of washboards.
It just makes more sense when you consider that the D shaped building was a Giant Bank for storage. Grains and precious items, perhaps Macaw feathers and ceremonial artifacts. But probably it held mostly mundane items like Corn 🌽. And if we consider the round pits as homes or at least temporary living quarters for the elders, shamans(astronomers) and elites... it starts to make a little more sense. Perhaps part of the reason why they decided to use this space for grain storage was because it was so dry.?. They definitely chose it for it's astronomical alignments. Which in turn has EVERYTHING to do with keeping time, which most importantly let's you know when to sow your seeds. This was probably a place where people who were spread out throughout the landscape to congregated and re-set their calendars. Play games, dance, talk, trade! It was probably like an all purpose meeting place for the Holy Days. 🙏🏽🌒☀️🪐🌧⚡💧🌌
Wow! Nicely done! It's a place I likely will never have a chance to visit so it was great to tag along in your beautifully shot video. One question: you mention a book several times - what is the title and author?
I haven’t been there since 2009. Had quite an experience after sunset coming down from above Pueblo Bonito up on that mesa. Was such a beautiful sunset but a very interesting experience. Let’s just say we’re not alone out there!
@@CactusAtlas was very beautiful however I had a kind of scary paranormal experience after the sun went down. Let’s just say I hurried back down the mesa and ran literally to the parking lot back to my car. And I was the only person parked in that parking lot!! So was definitely not a live person following me
Fantastic, I would like to walk around there too, but I wonder, is it allowed to walk around these buildings? Good pictures and overview. Thank you so much for these wonderful pictures 🤨 👴 👨🦽
This is coming directly from a student, but as a viewer, I'd still be interested- the next time you go there, it would be great if you could have a ranger show you around and get more in depth answers to the questions you posed, or tell you things you might not know. Incredible video, and for my project on this park, your video helped immensely. (part of my project that I came to this video for is to interview a ranger for my selected park, but I could not get in contact with one in time. I am meant to ask and answer these questions: Why was this place so important that it was made a National Historic park? What would the park have looked like back then, what would people be doing? Why should any individual care about this park? What was economically significant about this park during it's time? If you could pass only 1 piece of information about this park, what would it be? Anyways, your video helped answer a lot of these, thank you so much. Still would love to see more if you ever get to go back.)
I heard stories from Navajo elders who shared a dark chilling history about this place. The chills you have come from the horrors that the elders spoke of, and this gives me even more faith that the elders history is that of a trustworthy and compelling case that the walls were built not to keep people out, but to trap people within as they are erriely similar to a corrall. I remember the elder explained how the site was meticulously situated between steep cliffs on either side and how those Kivas were slave pits, where sacrafical victims or prisoners were detained by the Anazasi, and closely observing the kivas you can recognize how difficult escaping would be. When taking these characteristics of the site into consideration, you can't imagine it a happy place. Another fact about the place are the anthropological finds indicating the practice of cannibalism.
Yes Anasazi were cannibals will be visiting the area next week...as a woman of Apache/Yaqui ancestry...I definitely will not go to such a place. I am extremely sensitive to the Spirits
@@sarahgriph4859 Both the Apache and Yaqui were feared warriors that stood in the way of the expansion of authoritarian policies brought on by the United States government. We know much more about the Apache, but the Yaqui are shrouded in mystery. I'm a fan of the Yaqui shaman "Don Juan" in the many excerpts of Carlos Castaneda! I myself am of Choctaw ancestry from my grandpa, so I'm very curious about my native history.
This place has electromagnetic energy which affects sensitive people there is an immense amount of bad energy left behind by these people it's known as the crying and dying place. 43:53
It is known as the “attack on indigenous people who lived and drank from spring that bubbled up”, at the 24:42 mark, before Satanist rode in, and “got rid” of everybody. Then cemented in the spring watering hole, like they did to Mount Rushmore 💦
I grew up on a farm/ranch and spent a little time in South West Asia, so I have a different perspective. In Afghanistan, for example, you can see how people live in dry areas. What was and still is necessary today to survive. To me, many of the sunken rooms remind me of grain silos. We know that in Europe there was a cooling period between 1300 and 1850. If that had an effect on North America that would have led many of the Natives to move south to survive, in just a few generations that would have had many natives believing that their ancestors and heritage came from the north.
When I taught school on the Navajo reservation I visited Chaco many times. I took an astronomy class at Dineh College and often I was looking at Chaco from that perspective because they were advanced astronomers. The Anasazi built all their settlements on a north-south line from Mesa Verdi to Chaco and maybe further south. (Pueblo Benito and other structures may not have been housing but some kind of ceremonial centers.) I found that my compass would act strangely at Chaco and I wondered if maybe there were ley lines or electro/magnetic flows along that line that made them want to build on it. All I can say is there's more to Chaco than what's visible to the eye. You can feel it. This videographer felt it too as tingles on his neck. Hackles going up? As an aside, the reason for the abandonment of Chaco was a several hundred year severe drought and cold in the 1200's something that was also seen in Europe. The rock Chaco was built with came from close formations that naturally break up into those flat stones and you can see the outcroppings. It's believed that Chaco may have for a time been invaded by a people from the south, maybe Mexico, who were cannibals at least in a ritual level because bones were found with "pot polish" e.g., having been stirred and cooked in a pot. Those people had teeth filed to a point which is what identified them. So if you get the jitters at places in Chaco, maybe that's what you're feeling.
It's amazing,the rock works looks like brick work. I noticed they built two over one,one over two ; much like the early Portuguese explorers(?) seamen who sailed everywhere in the currently known world long before it was known by anyone else ( except Templar knights)
Based on things we've read, it's not advisable to drive in when the roads are wet. Not sure about hiking but wouldn't think it would be much fun either.
The Chacoan stairs were what you'd gone up through, the crack. Much like you, I was a little worried as the trail marker, an arrow, pointed up through that crack. Love New Mexico.
There is a scene in the original Time Machine where George in his parlor is sitting in his time machine. He slowly advances the lever as he travels in time. The scenes around him gradually change with the seasons, fall--winter--spring-summer. Gradually the house decays, falls down and other structures are built. I often imagine being in a place like this in a time machine as I watch the place being discovered, structures built, events occurring, and then gradually falling into ruins.
It was indeed rough when we went several years ago, but unfortunately we have no experience with trailers or campers. You'll probably want to call the rangers at the park for the most up to date conditions as weather can affect the drive in.
As a person in a wheelchair, thank you so much for visiting, documenting (with video) AND, most importantly, talking about what you are showing! Your video is great. Thank you so very much.
You are so welcome! We're so happy to bring these things to you. 😊
@@CactusAtlas bad hip here , so NO WAY i climb that cliff....
anyway , i heard years ago that the Sahara was once a lush , green landscape , but had been "used up" by overpopulation ....i think perhaps the area may have been rich forest , thus as attractive as the country to the immediate north......... a hungry , progressive people had decimated the trees for building and cooking.....it was a pretty sophisticated culture , but like we , couldn't think ahead......maybe the end came when they'd used it up....
this is w/o mentioning that "climate change " happens cyclically , and w/o automobiles , so it may have been a wetter time.....just a thought
I was blown away by the masonry. I'm a retired Mason it is truly amazing. Well worth going there.
How cool! It's got to be really awesome to have the know-how about masonry and take a look at old structures like Chaco. We lack that knowledge but agree that it's pretty impressive. 😊
The Spaniards were building masonry structures for hundreds of years before these structures were built.
Yes in-between killing every body in the name of God and gold. No wonder the old ones moved in to cliff dwellings.
I had a unique spiritual experience a year ago in this amazing place, Ancestors are present 🙏
It's an amazing location and hard not to feel affected by it, regardless of one's spiritual beliefs. Just the enormity, craftsmanship, and dedication to it is awe inspiring! 😄
@@CactusAtlas absolutely
The Conquistadors surely thought that in the 1500s, too.
@@toadflax636 🙏
Great to see your Chaco canyon trip. I was born in Farmington NM in 1952. I worked all over that area of NM in the early 70's as a drilling fluids engineer in the oil and natural gas industry. That area of NM is covered in ruins. Really fascinating.
NM is beautiful. It gets a lot of bad PR
Amazing! Formidable brickwork… so fascinating… thank you.
We always find the masonry there to be especially interesting. 😄👍
Must have been an advanced society to build these structures. Amazing! I visited Mesa Verde as a young woman. Now I'm 76 years old now!
Very cool! These structures are just so amazing to see, especially something as massive as Chaco.
Chaco Canyon looks so amazing. I can't even imagine what it was like there when it was in use.
Right?! I been it was amazing. Definitely one place I'd love to explore if even using VR technology.
It was a place where slaves were kept, humans sacrificed, slave traders, people of black magic.
@@CactusAtlas is connection to chaak mayan storm, fertility and corn harvest god?
Loving this Longer format.
Gotta say the longer I watch this the more I'm seeing so many comparison's to Göbekli Tepe. We can see that the cliff's have eroded & collapsed I wonder how many caves have never been found yet. The T doorways remind me of the T's at Göbekli Tepe.
Thank You So much for everything you do Glenn & great editing as Always Amy .
Always so interesting when you're able to compare and find similarities to places that span distance and time, isn't it? Don't think that the long format will be a common thing... just REALLY hard to condense a place as large as Chaco to a shorter form video. 😊
So glad to see I am not the only one noticing the comparison! I am completely awestruck by the similarities, especially other sites in the region like the reconstructed Great Kiva at Aztec National Monument or the partially buried ruins of the Salmon site looking shockingly similar to buried Karahan Tepe as well as all the other ancient networked sites in Turkey! It's deeply moving to even consider that these ancient people's share a cultural heritage...there are just too many instances of duality to deny that the roots of civilization extend much farther in time, cultural and spiritual practices remaining largely unchanged over thousands of years, especially now with new evidence that the ancient network within ancient Anatolia are seemingly derived from Ancient North Siberians and with the peopling of the Americas continually being pushed back further in time, where did it originate and how long ago? Such an incredible story. I can't wait to see it for myself!!
@@MM-yl9gn those ancient civilizations were listed as closest ancient for Chaco canyon
Thank you for making this video! Amazing and beautiful place!
Our pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it! 😄
Great job! We spent about 2 weeks at Chaco and didn't see everything. Such an epic place!
Whoa! Two weeks! That's incredible! 😲👍
Cool place. Rough road getting there.
My daughter worked there a couple of years ago. She was involved in monitoring the cliffs. Not to prevent them from falling but as a warning so that visitors would not be injured.
We were able to visit her for a couple of days.
Oh, wow! That's so interesting. So I assume there is still a risk of parts of the cliff falling? And you're not kidding about that road. 😅
@@CactusAtlas Yes. She’s a geologist. They have put sensors to monitor the movements of the cliffs.
This is the most interesting video. Can’t wait till you explore more here
Oh, we'd LOVE to go back and explore more. To be honest, we really need to go back to New Mexico sometime soon. 😄
Thank you for the nice look around this beautiful, and momentous place, frozen in time.
Wow absolutely amazing thanks to cactus atlas we get to see and hear about these amazing places love it 🤠😍
Our pleasure! So happy that you enjoyed it. 😊
A sipapu (a Hopi word, Ancestral Puebloans) was a small hole or indentation in the floor of a kiva (pithouse). The sipapu symbolizes the portal through which their ancient ancestors first emerged to enter the present world.
I was there day after christmas 2021 there was 3 people there it has been my favorite trip ill never regret or forget
right on! there's nothing like it.
AWESOME Video!!!! This is by far the best I've seen of this place! Good job!
Thank you! 😄
It’s amazing 👍 to build those structures with minimal tool and materials 😎
Well, they had plenty of material though. Some of it clearly wanted to be part of it so badly it fell. 😂
I thank you for that time and research and detail you included for this amazing Great House in New Mexico!! Very good work, thank you! I was there in the late 90's. You answered alot of my questions ❤!
Awesome! So happy to help! 😄
Amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Our pleasure!
Very interesting tour of Chaco Canyon, I passed up the opportunity to visit it on vacation. Now I wish I had stopped. The history amazes me. Great video, as always Many Thanks.
Hopefully next time? 😄 Granted the drive in is not one for the faint of heart. It's not terrible or anything one needs an off road vehicle for, but it is certainly long and unpaved. 😅
That place looks incredible. So beautiful and amazing. Thanks for all the info on Chacó Canyon. Love your videos. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us. Stay safe.
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching! 😄
I've studied and visited this site (living in Durango,Co)....Your presentation and information is SOO much more than I have found! Fantastic! Thank you so much!
Wow, thank you! You are very welcome! 😄👍
Absolutely amazing and spiritually beautiful ❤
Great job showing us this historical treasure. Thanks!
Our pleasure! It was fun doing it!
I live in new mexico and have always wanted to visit chaco...lol i only live 2 hrs away. You went before me im jellous great content🤟
Thanks! Two hours away? I'm so jealous! Hope you're able to find time to visit Chaco. It's a truly fascinating place. Few locations like it. 😄
Yes I live in grants whis is like two hours of the location maybe a lil more
That was amazing, i am shocked that more people don't know about this! Beautiful shots as well. Thank you!!
Thank you very much! 😄
Great video, love seeing all these structures! One small correction, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, shown at ~15:06, were built AFTER the Chaco Canyon Great Houses had been abandoned, with the Chacoans moving to Mesa Verde after mysteriously abandoning Chaco, rather than the other way around. If you're interested in learning some more about the archaeology (and particularly the archeoastronomy) of this region, I have a video on my channel about the topic (I also talk about the purpose of those corner windows you point out!).
Correct and it's on the same meridian (give or take a minute or two) like Casas Grande in Mexic6 and others.
Mesa verde cliff dwellings were built in the 1200s and chaco was abandoned around 1280 as far as I know
@@danielconquer909 Chaco Canyon wasn't fully abandoned until the 15th century, but the population began to dwindle after around 1130, with much of the population travelling to Mesa Verde, as confirmed by archaeological evidence - the population swelled and there was an increase in goods brought in from far away. The Mesa Verde cliff dwellings were built in the archaeological period called Pueblo III, which followed Pueblo II, the period when the Great Houses of Chaco Canyon were built.
Very nicely done, once again.... but you missed the whole carved stairways and ancient roads on top leading off from the canyon to other cultural settlements! That was one of the coolest things for me. Chaco was the center of a huge wheel with spokes leading out. It was a trading post for the entire SW.
Unfortunately we're likely to miss a lot of things because of time. On the flipside, always gives us a reason to return to places which we don't mind. 😄
@@CactusAtlas Not criticizing, just letting you know. You seemed so interested in finding out the "purpose" of Chaco, and the roads are part of the explanation.
Thanks for the post! I just made reservations to make our trip in October!
So awesome! Hope you enjoy it! 😄
Love Chaco! It’s an amazing place to visit. We went several years ago.
It amazed us. Couldn't keep this video brief with all the stunning history and structures. 👍
It is my understanding there was more rainful during the time Chaco was at its height -making gainful farming more imaginable.
PS- Loved the video - nice work!
No doubts that climate has changed in areas over time affecting what we see now and what was then. Take a look at a place like Petrified Forest National Park... it's hard to imagine millions of years ago it being under water! Granted that is millions of years as opposed to centuries but it still blows my mind.
Apparently there was a drought and they over hunted the area, but others say it was a political change and war that forced them to leave. Dr.Steven Lekson has awesome presentations about Chaco on here.
Was there a couple weeks ago. Was impressed by how nice the right angles are in the doorways and such. Wasn't expecting that. Same with the little+big rock patterns.
It's truly impressive, right? 😄 Hope that your visit was enjoyable!
Well done. 44:00 minute went by fast. That’s a sign of a good show.
I have a feeling that the Kiva culture was to these people as the ancient amphitheaters where to classic Greece. In other words: SHOW TIME.
There are seasons of the year when the work load is less and we have time to gather together and tell our stories. The Kiva was the theater, the stage for this. Just like Shakespeare playhouse in old London.
Our stories unify us as a people, a culture, a community.
You did a nice job on this video. I like your humility.
Sincerely,
Pete
Thank you so much! We're glad you enjoyed our video! 😄
Great presentation! I am astounded at how all this was done. I can't even begin to imagine.
Lots of time, work, and great knowledge. All I can imagine. 😅
Thanks for sharing your tour of Chaco.. my husband and I were there many years ago.. there wasnt a ranger on site. You revealed some new insights to several things there. Thanks.. would love to be able to revisit, but age has advanced!!
Glad you enjoyed it! It's our pleasure. 😊
This is definitely in my bucket list.. Thanks for sharing
Our pleasure! Thanks so much!
Great 👍 job, Glen. Thank you for showing your passion for this sacred place called CHACO. My husband and I visited here a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it but missed a few places. Chaco deserves at least a couple of days exploration. Many Thanks.
Thanks so much! Glad you like the video we both worked very hard to make. 👍 And agree! It is very difficult to explore Chaco fully in just one day.
Anyone who visits Chaco Canyon without being left in awe has something missing.
Couldn't agree more! 😄👍
Chaco canyon is such a magical place! I’ve only been there once and I was injured so I couldn’t get around much. I’ve been wanting to get back there and camp. It saddens me though to see all the natural gas refineries that are cropping up around Chaco. I hope they can keep it protected
Oh no! Well I hope you get to visit again when you can fully explore. We might have a bit of info about camping there coming soon too. 😉
Thanks for taking us along! Really enjoyed it. Would love to see it my self, but a 77 I doubt I'll get to. Very cool place!
Always more than happy to bring the places to those who can't visit. 😊
I'll be there July 4. Looking forward to it.
Nice! I hope you have a tremendous time during your visit! 😄
Great video! LOVE Chaco Canyon, been there twice, will return. For more info, an excellent book is People of Chaco: A Canyon and Its Culture by Kendrick Frazier.
Thank you! And thanks for the info as well! We'll be sure to check it out. 😄👍
I’ve never heard of this place but it is really cool! Crazy that it’s still standing. 😁👌🏽
Really astonishing place! Enjoyed it a lot! 😄
I saw this as a quick stop on another video, but I'm so glad I watched your video with all it's history. Now I can see how rewarding this would be to go see. Thanks for sharing and great job. cheers
Awesome! Thank you! 😄
Cheers Glen for Another Great Video
Our pleasure! 😊
Nice video.
The alternating of the stones from large to small is called banded masonry. It gives the wall much greater strength. Super advanced masonry technique for the time period.
Thank you! Very cool about the stones. Thanks for the info! 😄👍
A few years ago I was surprised to learn at the Tuzigoot National Monument in Cottonwood, AZ that tropical birds thrived along the Verde River until the late 1800's when they were all killed for their feathers. It is possible that these tropical birds existed farther north so it is not surprising that their feathers were found at Chaco Canyon.
Awesome video dude! I live 2 and half hours away from Chaco Canyon.. But I’m sure I’ll never get to visit this place… Thanks for showing an up close video!!
Thank you! Glad you liked our video and we could show you Chaco Canyon. 😄
I wish! As a Native American I can’t go near this type of ancient structures!!
@@osheakurb2912 Do you mind to share with us the reasons that keeps you from not visiting this place? ✌️ Peace
@@LightOverdoZ bad mojo. Got more sense than the rest of us LOL
@@thedeafcattledog8608 I see you, Not if you show respect and walk in peace 🙏
Enjoyed the detailed views of Chaco. Thank you.
Our pleasure!
WOW, very interesting. TFS
Thank you! Cheers! 😄
That's so interesting when looking into the dwelling "basement"; I was thinking, "ah, get out of there man, I don't think that's a good place to be..." then you remarked that it felt "eerie" and the hairs on your neck were alerting you--yeah energy can adhere to form, that place has vibes, sometimes it's best to stay away from a dark vortex like that. But still, we and I include myself are curious about history. It's possible that initially it was a garden sanctuary that was taken over at a later date by a people in a downward spiral. Thank you so much for sharing your video;
Was there 3-4x in the 80's & 90's as I lived in both Durango and Farmington. Watching your video brought back good memories. Back in the day there was almost a natural walk up to the top of the wall overlooking Pueblo Bonita . Got some great photos from this viewpoint. Walking on the top of the Mesa you could almost still see the indentations of the roads lead towards Aztec ( and also other roads believed to be trading routes back then as it was quite a cultural and trade center. Lastly, others watching probably don't have a sense of how remote this area really is. Great video 3/20/23
Ya probably not a good place to be LOL. They traded with the native Mexicans, not only goods, but also culture. It's probably verboten nowadays, but when my MiL was there in the 1950s they openly told them how there was evidence of human sacrifice and cannibalism. There's evidence of this all over the SW during certain periods. Now I'm pretty sure they won't even talk about it. I've read academic papers trying to disprove what's obvious, trying to contrive why there are cut and cooking marks on human bones, all sorts of excuses and hemming and hawing. It's bloody obnoxious, literally and figuratively. Heh.
We're planning a trip there later this year. Gonna try to camp there and not to get too creeped out.
Awesome place. This for sharing.
☆♡☆
Thank you! 😊
Thanks for this video. I am reading Anasazi America by David E Stuart. The reading is a little dry, but the video clears up the book a lot. The book is about 250 pages and I am not sure I will finish. But I am definitely re-reading chapter 5, The Chaco Phenomenon. Thinking about going to Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde possibly in 2024.
Wonderful! Glad our video can be helpful to you. 😊
I really loved this video. Thanks for sharing! Gramma Candy
You are so welcome! 😊
Amazing site. Was here the night before a new moon, and found out I was at an internationally recognized dark space. There was a plethora of telescopes, old and new preparing for the next evenings sky show.
Be well
Sounds amazing! I can only imagine what astrophotography could look like coming from that place.
I am so glad I found your channel! Your in-depth research you do kept us watching intensely and excited. We will be traveling there in Sept on our way thru eastern Utah and western Colorado. What time was your visit? Weather looks great and no people!
Awesome! Thank you! We try our best to do research but as with many of these older sites, sometimes things vary - especially things such as purpose or what life was like then. This video was filmed in July of last year. We include the date videos were filmed in descriptions to help people out (us too! It's so easy to forget when we went places. 😅). Hope your trip is a fantastic one there!
Great Video! We plan to visit there in 2024. Thanks for all the great info.
Glad it was helpful! Hope you have fun on your visit! 😄👍
I had the priviledge to visit Chaco in the summer of 2019.It is a mysterious and
awsome place. For generations to have laboured to create this place is amazing!
Seems to me it was a place of "protection" (from what I do not know),a sacred place
to retreat into for a limited time period...
One note practical note; the gravel road into the canyon is a very rough ride, so
be aware.
It definitely is and weather can make it really tricky. We showed and mentioned it in our Gallo campground video. 👍
That was a lot of fun! I just moved to the area and didn't want to go out there alone. Now I feel better about going and I'm even more interested!
It's a fantastic place if you're into history and culture. Definitely go for it!
Thanks!
Oh, goodness! Thank you as well! You are too kind and we appreciate your generosity. 😊👍
Love to see my anscestors jobs, Already know. 4th,generations of awesomeness,thankyou. Power thoughts every truther. Keep strong. Thankyou. .
Why do you think they abandoned it?
I have seen parts of this site as a child & seen a lot of videos & information & it still fascinates me! For me it is the rectangular doors & windows & the size of structures! Recently archeologists have discovered some clay vessels that according to one of the archeologists has a residue of cocoa beans in them; they sent samples to the HERSHEY company in Pennsylvania & their labs confirmed that it is cocoa residue! The Anasazi evidently had hot chocolate on cold N.M. winter nights! How long did it take to build all those structures??? No wonder that N.M. is the Land of Enchantment!
Fascinating! The beauty of that area seems ideal for sitting with a cup of hot cocoa in chilly evenings while admiring a hard day's work of constructing those amazing structures. Thanks for sharing! 😄
Thanks so much for posting this video. I've watched several on Chaco and really enjoyed your tour. I'm inspired to head to Chaco this year and have a look. So fascinating.
There are many small ruins around my neck of the woods in AZ, including Tonto, but chaco is just mind blowing in it's size and scope.
I need to do some research on Kivas. I know they seem to always be associated with religion, but I wonder too if they weren't equally as important just as a social gathering place. That is the fun of seeing these things, to ponder what was going on.
Thank you! Agree... Chaco is unlike anything we've seen before. Truly a special location. 😊
Thanks for this fascinating video! I'm sure the builders of that place never did anything without good reason. It's possible the significance and purpose of the site varied over time while it retained its overall importance.
I imagine you are spot on with your statement. Given that it was built over generations, I would have to imagine that plans and reasons changed. And yes... everything there seemed to have some reason to it, even if it isn't immediately obvious. 😊
@@CactusAtlas it reminds me a lot of that abandoned pre-Columbian city in the desert of northern Peru. Although the sites are separated by about 3000 years I suspect the story of their rise and fall (ie prolonged drought) is very similar.
Good Point - Very purposeful.
Wow i cant wait to go i just went to the gila cliff dwellings last weekend and been to Bandileir a couple times but never chaco canyon and im from Albuquerque so its only a 3 hour drive but loved the video keep up the great work!!!👌
Ooh! If you liked those places, Chaco will likely blow you away. The amount of locations and remaining structures is incredible! 👍
@@CactusAtlas yeah im planning on going next month then from there to the Aztec ruins and then hopefully get up to Mesa Verde. Is there camp sites near Chaco Culture??
That's pretty much the trip we took when we filmed at those locations (though Mesa Verde was an impromptu stop during some weather that changed our plans). Indeed there is camping at Chaco Canyon! Gallo Campground. We also made a video about that one too. Not the largest campground but it's pretty awesome camping right next to a few smaller old structures.
@@CactusAtlas cool thank you for the info and great content im gonna check out those videos now keep up the great work and never stop exploring!!!👌
Great video and commentary!
Thank you kindly! 😄
Just did a look-up on the wood and experts have determined that those trees came from the Zuni Mountains approximately 50 miles south of Chaco Canyon. That's an admirable feat to bring those logs, some of them quite large, such a long distance.
On my list of Native American sites to visit. Thank you for sharing this !
Our pleasure! Hopefully you get that opportunity to visit. 😄👍
Just went there a month ago. Only about 20 people there it was outstanding , awesome and humbling . I reviewed this video before I went and it was definately helpful. I reviewed it again after my experience there. Thank you for doing this. I have to say that the drive in and out of there was awful especially the 21 mile route the southern exit. I called ahead of time to check on the road conditions and checked the NPS website too. When I started reciting my "Hail Mary's" on the road to exit I knew this was a bad trouble. I live on a farm so I know bad roadsand ruts. Be sure to check on this before you go. I had a all wheel drive Nissian and didn't get stuck but it was tricky. I did not see a single vehicle coming in and or going out. I had humor myself so I would stop complaining and would recommend this road to any perspective couple that is thinking about a life commitment- guarantee there will be some intense conversations. Since I was solo I could only yell at myself- really not helpful.Once your there it is totally worth it and a unique experience regarding human history.
I have to wonder for how many people that road is a deterrent to visiting. It's kind of nice because if you have the ability to traverse it, you're fairly likely to have a quiet experience like you did. On the other hand, it's such an amazing place that more people really should check it out. Glad that you had a good time (minus the drive). 😄👍
So I take it my Buick sedan shouldn't go on this road? I'm afraid if I rent a vehicle, they'll find out I strayed off the main byways! 🙃
From Australia here the chaco canyon story full of mystery and full of the unknown look in all due respect. Tell us what you all were doing there thanks
6:30 I may be wrong but I think Brian Fagan in his book Chaco Canyon dates most major construction from 850 to 1150 AD (not 950 to 1250). By mid 12th century (1150 or so they were well into a major drought and most people had left.
This video brought back great memories of a trip my husband and I took to New Mexico in 2015. If you get a chance, go to Aztec NM and see a reproduction of an actual Kiva. Quite interesting.
The clips from the end of this video is from that very kiva! But one will wait for that video. 🤫😉
@@CactusAtlas obviously, my comment came before I watched the entire video. lol.. thanks so much for showing ALL of Chaco. So much I couldn't physically reach, but awesome to see in this video.
Great video - heading out there next year
Great to hear! We wish you much fun! 😄
I had almost forgot to thank you for this video please forgive me, nonetheless great video thank you so much sir 👉🤝
Thanks! We're glad that you enjoyed it! 😄
Truly an amazing place!! I wonder if the climate was different there during the time of building and occupation? Perhaps the annual rainfall level was such that to successfully grow crops in the area? I'll have to research and hopefully a study has been done. Also, perhaps the annual rainfall decreased over time leading to abandonment.
Two years ago we were in the neighborhood and staid in Farmington, N.M. The campground owner told us it was impossible to go to Chaco canyon because we were driving an RV. Plus he said, Aztec Ruins is closer and more beautiful so we went there. I am happy to have seen Chaco now. Thank you for this great video.
Is it impossible to go there in an RV? Can you tell me about the roads and the conditions of them? Thank you.
Hmm. CAN a RV make the drive to Chaco? Possibly. Is it going to be comfortable and risk-free? Nope. And conditions are likely to change at the drop of a hat ESPECIALLY if there's been rain. Most people who advise RVs not to go are usually correct. That said, we really aren't comfortable saying whether people should or shouldn't go (especially since it has been quite some time since we went). However, the rangers at Chaco Canyon are super about keeping on top of road conditions and it is always recommended to give them a call and ask about current conditions. In general, the road is a bit rough, with quite a bit of washboards.
It just makes more sense when you consider that the D shaped building was a Giant Bank for storage. Grains and precious items, perhaps Macaw feathers and ceremonial artifacts. But probably it held mostly mundane items like Corn 🌽. And if we consider the round pits as homes or at least temporary living quarters for the elders, shamans(astronomers) and elites... it starts to make a little more sense. Perhaps part of the reason why they decided to use this space for grain storage was because it was so dry.?. They definitely chose it for it's astronomical alignments. Which in turn has EVERYTHING to do with keeping time, which most importantly let's you know when to sow your seeds. This was probably a place where people who were spread out throughout the landscape to congregated and re-set their calendars. Play games, dance, talk, trade! It was probably like an all purpose meeting place for the Holy Days. 🙏🏽🌒☀️🪐🌧⚡💧🌌
Wow! Nicely done! It's a place I likely will never have a chance to visit so it was great to tag along in your beautifully shot video. One question: you mention a book several times - what is the title and author?
Chaco Canyon: Archaeologists Explore the Lives of an Ancient Society by Brian Fagan
I haven’t been there since 2009. Had quite an experience after sunset coming down from above Pueblo Bonito up on that mesa. Was such a beautiful sunset but a very interesting experience. Let’s just say we’re not alone out there!
I can't even imagine some of the sunsets to be seen there. Thanks for sharing your experience! 🙂
@@CactusAtlas was very beautiful however I had a kind of scary paranormal experience after the sun went down. Let’s just say I hurried back down the mesa and ran literally to the parking lot back to my car. And I was the only person parked in that parking lot!! So was definitely not a live person following me
The underground structure with the railroad rails looks like a cistern
Awesome video. Thank you.
Thank you too!
Fantastic, I would like to walk around there too, but I wonder, is it allowed to walk around these buildings?
Good pictures and overview. Thank you so much for these wonderful pictures
🤨 👴 👨🦽
Yup! There's a trail, and it's clearly marked where not to go.
Cool video, very informative! 👍🏼
Thank you! 👍
This is coming directly from a student, but as a viewer, I'd still be interested- the next time you go there, it would be great if you could have a ranger show you around and get more in depth answers to the questions you posed, or tell you things you might not know. Incredible video, and for my project on this park, your video helped immensely.
(part of my project that I came to this video for is to interview a ranger for my selected park, but I could not get in contact with one in time. I am meant to ask and answer these questions:
Why was this place so important that it was made a National Historic park? What would the park have looked like back then, what would people be doing? Why should any individual care about this park? What was economically significant about this park during it's time? If you could pass only 1 piece of information about this park, what would it be?
Anyways, your video helped answer a lot of these, thank you so much. Still would love to see more if you ever get to go back.)
Glad we could be helpful. 👍
I heard stories from Navajo elders who shared a dark chilling history about this place. The chills you have come from the horrors that the elders spoke of, and this gives me even more faith that the elders history is that of a trustworthy and compelling case that the walls were built not to keep people out, but to trap people within as they are erriely similar to a corrall. I remember the elder explained how the site was meticulously situated between steep cliffs on either side and how those Kivas were slave pits, where sacrafical victims or prisoners were detained by the Anazasi, and closely observing the kivas you can recognize how difficult escaping would be. When taking these characteristics of the site into consideration, you can't imagine it a happy place. Another fact about the place are the anthropological finds indicating the practice of cannibalism.
Yes Anasazi were cannibals will be visiting the area next week...as a woman of Apache/Yaqui ancestry...I definitely will not go to such a place. I am extremely sensitive to the Spirits
@@sarahgriph4859 Both the Apache and Yaqui were feared warriors that stood in the way of the expansion of authoritarian policies brought on by the United States government. We know much more about the Apache, but the Yaqui are shrouded in mystery. I'm a fan of the Yaqui shaman "Don Juan" in the many excerpts of Carlos Castaneda! I myself am of Choctaw ancestry from my grandpa, so I'm very curious about my native history.
This place has electromagnetic energy which affects sensitive people there is an immense amount of bad energy left behind by these people it's known as the crying and dying place. 43:53
Carlos Castaneda has been exposed as a fraud I was. Very disappointed.
It is known as the “attack on indigenous people who lived and drank from spring that bubbled up”,
at the 24:42 mark, before Satanist rode in, and “got rid” of everybody. Then cemented in the spring watering hole, like they did to Mount Rushmore 💦
Very cool
I grew up on a farm/ranch and spent a little time in South West Asia, so I have a different perspective. In Afghanistan, for example, you can see how people live in dry areas. What was and still is necessary today to survive.
To me, many of the sunken rooms remind me of grain silos.
We know that in Europe there was a cooling period between 1300 and 1850. If that had an effect on North America that would have led many of the Natives to move south to survive, in just a few generations that would have had many natives believing that their ancestors and heritage came from the north.
🪔 Brilliant comment
When I taught school on the Navajo reservation I visited Chaco many times. I took an astronomy class at Dineh College and often I was looking at Chaco from that perspective because they were advanced astronomers. The Anasazi built all their settlements on a north-south line from Mesa Verdi to Chaco and maybe further south. (Pueblo Benito and other structures may not have been housing but some kind of ceremonial centers.) I found that my compass would act strangely at Chaco and I wondered if maybe there were ley lines or electro/magnetic flows along that line that made them want to build on it. All I can say is there's more to Chaco than what's visible to the eye. You can feel it. This videographer felt it too as tingles on his neck. Hackles going up? As an aside, the reason for the abandonment of Chaco was a several hundred year severe drought and cold in the 1200's something that was also seen in Europe. The rock Chaco was built with came from close formations that naturally break up into those flat stones and you can see the outcroppings. It's believed that Chaco may have for a time been invaded by a people from the south, maybe Mexico, who were cannibals at least in a ritual level because bones were found with "pot polish" e.g., having been stirred and cooked in a pot. Those people had teeth filed to a point which is what identified them. So if you get the jitters at places in Chaco, maybe that's what you're feeling.
All very fascinating information! Thank you SO much for sharing!
It's amazing,the rock works looks like brick work. I noticed they built two over one,one over two ; much like the early Portuguese explorers(?) seamen who sailed everywhere in the currently known world long before it was known by anyone else ( except Templar knights)
The masonry there is pretty impressive. 😄👍
Could the round structures have been used for water storage, filled during floods?
I know it may snow there in Jan...but is the drive in/hike OK?
Based on things we've read, it's not advisable to drive in when the roads are wet. Not sure about hiking but wouldn't think it would be much fun either.
@@CactusAtlas thank you!
In your show,what book are you reading on this? Thanks!
Chaco Canyon: Archaeologists Explore the Lives of an Ancient Society by Brian Fagan
The Chacoan stairs were what you'd gone up through, the crack. Much like you, I was a little worried as the trail marker, an arrow, pointed up through that crack. Love New Mexico.
Any guess on where all of the building materials that are gone, went to? These walls are massive, but it's a small portion of what was once here.
Not entirely sure sadly. It's possible some was vandalism. Maybe stolen. Probably a whole lot of things. 🤷♀️
POWER THOUGHTS FOR ALL, OUR ANCESTORS NEED HER POWER PRAYERS. THANKYOU.
For Sure, Praying for Knowledge, And to Acknowledge With Life Situations
There is a scene in the original Time Machine where George in his parlor is sitting in his time machine. He slowly advances the lever as he travels in time. The scenes around him gradually change with the seasons, fall--winter--spring-summer. Gradually the house decays, falls down and other structures are built. I often imagine being in a place like this in a time machine as I watch the place being discovered, structures built, events occurring, and then gradually falling into ruins.
We remember that scene quite well and recently mentioned something like that in a recent video. 😄
I have heard that the drive to Chaco Canyon is very rough and bumpy. Can I trailer my small camper when I visit?
It was indeed rough when we went several years ago, but unfortunately we have no experience with trailers or campers. You'll probably want to call the rangers at the park for the most up to date conditions as weather can affect the drive in.
What's the bottom passage way under the entrance?