CASA RINCONADA COMMUNITY

Small building of small rooms. Likely dwellings. Before we leave Chaco, here are a few more mysteries of this place: While the great houses each had hundreds of rooms, evidence indicates that no more than a few hundred people ever lived in Chaco Canyon at one time. For one thing, compared with other such places, there are very few burials here. Also, among the great house rooms, there are very few hearths, indicating that most of the rooms were used for something other than habitation. Add to this the fact that there are artifacts found here from hundreds of miles away (including remains of macaws and cacao (cocoa) from Mesoamerica {>1,000 miles to the south}) and sea shells from the Pacific Coast), but there is a dearth of evidence that much of anything FROM Chaco ended up more than a few miles from here. Some believe that Chaco was a religious center (sort of a Southwest U.S. Mecca), where pilgrims journeyed for spiritual reasons. Others say it was more likely a commercial center, attracting traders from far and wide as a sort of ancient storehouse and distribution hub. Still others think that the great houses were built for great leaders and were used to store tribute brought by these high chiefs' subjects. The climate here is not thought to be much different now than what it was when the Ancestral Puebloans decided to settle here. Even in years of relatively high moisture, agricultural production could not have been much more than what was necessary for a sparse existence. Dry times must have made for severe limitation. Perhaps the inhabitants were able to obtain most of their sustenance from outsiders (the religious pilgrims, or the traders, or those bearing tribute)? At any rate, a common question I have come across from the most well-respected archaeologists (with no convincing answer) is "Why did they choose HERE?" Research is ongoing, but there will likely continue to be many more questions than answers. The time of intensive excavation is gone. Scientists are now looking at the land and the structures with much more respect. Native people with ties here (primarily the current Pueblo cultures and the Navajo) are insisting that all involved approach Chaco in a manner more reverent and appropriate for such a unique and sacred realm. Thank-you for joining us on our walk through the mysterious Chaco Canyon! To continue on in our New Mexico journey, click below: https://www.optimimagery.com/THIS-IS-ME-Vacations-around-Sa/TRAVEL/TRAVEL-2019/JULY-2019-NEW-MEXICO/JULY-2019-NEW-MEXICO-III-SAN-ANTONIO-HOT-SPRING-AND-RETURN/

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