Nice digs!

Part of the "Great House," the west ruins at Aztec. The east ruins remain
largely unexcavated.

We arrived in Aztec, New Mexico, home of Aztec Ruins National Monument, 10 days ago. The monument's two volunteer RV sites sit a mere stone's throw away from remnants of what once was a vibrant Pueblo Indian settlement. Its structures, erected in the early 12^th Century and inhabited for less than 200 years, now stand as reminders for their descendants and others to explore.

At one time, as many as 200 Pueblo Indians may
have dwelled in the rooms at AzRu.

Study of Aztec Ruins (“AzRu” in National Park Service nomenclature) continues even today, with excavation of only a fraction of the site completed. I certainly never expected to find myself living amidst archaeological digs and count this experience among the more pleasantly-surprising ones of my life. Awe-inspiring, to say the least.

Understanding Aztec Ruins starts with understanding this: the Aztecs never made it this far north! In fact, the builders of Aztec Ruins completed their work long before the Aztecs prospered. Anglo settlers of the mid-19^th Century, inspired by popular tales of Cortez's Mexican conquest, erroneously labeled the place. By the time anyone recognized the mistake, it was too late. The label had already stuck.

Volunteer training at AzRu is mostly an on-the-job affair, with emphasis on learning how to ring up admissions fees on the visitor center cash registers without prompting an audit by the Inspector General. During lulls in activity, the rangers here take time to explain about the ruins' history in hopes that Leonard and I might learn to answer visitors' questions accurately, or at least fool the poor souls by looking like we know what we're doing. (Let me just say that wearing a uniform goes a long way in this regard.) The process feels a bit overwhelming at times – something like trying to drink from a fire hose – but we seem to be managing alright.

Volunteers from Chimney Rock National Monument  tour AzRu's Great Kiva.
Modern Pueblo Indians use kivas, including this one, in sacred, private rituals.
The Great Kiva is the only structure at AzRu to have been rebuilt.

We work Wednesdays through Saturdays. On our days off, we explore our surroundings, especially the town of Aztec. Unlike our setup at Big Bend National Park, where procuring a quart of milk was an all-day affair, just about anything we might need here is within walking distance (i.e. less than 2 miles away). Town amenities include a well-stocked Safeway, a Starbucks (inside said Safeway), a small assortment of restaurants (mostly locally-owned), a hardware store and an Auto Zone. There are also physician and dentist offices, should the need arise, as well decent cell and Internet signals (thank you, Verizon) and over-the-air television reception. Anything we can't find here is available 15 miles away in the town of Farmington.

Protecting AzRu from damage by wind and rain demands vigilance and skill.
Archaeologists continually examine the ruins to spot areas needing  repair.

Tomorrow, we join AzRu staff on a field trip to southwestern Colorado for a tour of the most famous of all Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites - Mesa Verde National Park. I could learn to “dig” these digs!

AzRu's builders added roofs made from a mix of wood and mud to create beautiful, enduring structures.

 

Unlike the Great Kiva, this kiva will remain unrestored, consistent with current archaeological practice.

 

One of AzRu's architectural mysteries concerns the use of green limestone, like that pictured here. Workers carried the stone on foot from a quarry located several miles beyond the site where the rest of AzRu's stone is believed to have been taken. Why? Only the builders know for sure (and they're not talking).

Aztec's desert climate helps to preserve wood at the site. This support is
900 years old.