Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1988 |
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| Location | 27501 Highway 184 Dolores, Colorado |
| Type | Archaeological museum |
The Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum is a special place in Dolores, Colorado. It used to be called the Anasazi Heritage Center. This museum teaches us about the Native American people who lived here long ago. They were called Ancient Pueblo peoples.
The museum focuses on cultures that built pueblo homes and those who were hunter-gatherers. You can see two ancient village sites right at the museum! These are the Escalante and Dominguez Pueblos. They were homes to Ancient Pueblo peoples around the 12th century. The museum has many amazing artifacts, like tools and pottery. It also has a library for research and a gift shop. You can even enjoy a picnic area and a nature trail that tells stories of the past.
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Who Were the Ancient Pueblo People?
The Ancient Pueblo people were early residents of the Four Corners area. This region is where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. They lived in permanent villages called pueblos. These people were skilled farmers, growing crops like corn, beans, and squash. They also hunted wild animals and gathered plants like berries and piñon nuts.
Some historians believe these people lived in the Four Corners area as early as 1500 BC. At one point, 20,000 to 30,000 people lived and farmed in the Montezuma County, Colorado area. Each person needed about one acre of land to grow enough corn.
Around the late 1200s AD, the area faced a long period of dry weather. Because of this and other reasons, the Ancient Pueblo people moved south. By 1300 AD, they had settled in areas that are now New Mexico and Arizona.
You might hear the term Anasazi used for these ancient people. This word comes from the Navajo language. It means "ancient enemy" or "outsider." Many modern Pueblo people do not like this term. They prefer to call their ancestors "Ancient Pueblo people" because they hold them in high respect.
Exploring Escalante and Dominguez Pueblos
Right next to the Visitor Center, you can explore the Escalante and Dominguez Pueblos. These were homes for Ancient Pueblo people at different times.
Escalante Pueblo: A Glimpse into the Past
The Escalante Pueblo was built around 1120 to 1130 AD. It was made of stone walls, forming family homes and shared community rooms. It also had special round rooms called kivas. Kivas were used for ceremonies and community gatherings. The way it was built is similar to the famous Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. People lived here again around 1150 AD and then once more around 1200 AD.
Dominguez Pueblo: A Family Home
Close to Escalante Pueblo is the Dominguez Pueblo. This was a smaller, independent family home. It shows how some families lived outside the main village. When archaeologists explored this site, they found many interesting things. These included thousands of turquoise, jet, and shell beads. They also found a shell and turquoise frog pendant, beautiful pottery, and bone tools. These items help us understand what daily life was like for these ancient people.
These two pueblos are named after two Spanish friars, Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante. They explored this area in 1776 and wrote about these ancient sites.
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Escalante Pueblo near McPhee Reservoir
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Walls of Escalante Pueblo
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A kiva at Escalante Pueblo
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Dominguez Pueblo
The Museum and Visitor Center Today
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) takes care of the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum. It opened in 1988. This center is also the main visitor hub for the larger Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. It's a great place to start your adventure and learn about the monument's history and natural beauty.
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Inside the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum
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Map of Canyon of the Ancients National Monument
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Lowry Pueblo, another ancient site in the area
Nearby Ancient Sites and Parks
The Four Corners region is full of amazing places to explore. Many of these sites are part of the Trail of the Ancients. This trail connects many important archaeological and heritage sites.
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Pleasant View | San Juan National Forest | San Juan National Forest, Rico, Telluride | |
| Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Lowry Pueblo |  |
San Juan National Forest | ||
 Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum  |
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| Towaoc, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Reservation, Hovenweep National Monument | Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Cortez Culture Center, Mesa Verde National Park, Ute Mountain Tribal Park | Dolores, Durango |
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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
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Ancient Kiva ruins at Canyons of the Ancients
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Hovenweep Castle
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Mesa Verde National Park, Cliff Palace
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Mesa Verde National Park, Spruce Tree House
See Also
