Casamero Pueblo facts for kids
Casamero Pueblo is an amazing ancient site in New Mexico. It holds the remains of an old community built by the Ancestral Puebloans around the 11th century. This special place is located near Prewitt in McKinley County. It was once a smaller community that was part of the larger Chaco Canyon network. You can find it along the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway.
Contents
Where is Casamero Pueblo?
The ancient ruins of Casamero Pueblo are found on McKinley County Road 19. They are close to a place called Tecolote Mesa. Tecolote is a Spanish word that means "owl." This red sandstone mesa has a cool rock formation that looks just like the eyes of an owl!
The History of Casamero Pueblo
Casamero Pueblo was an important community connected to Chaco Canyon. People lived here from about the year 1000 to 1125. The buildings were made using a special method called core-veneer masonry. This means they built strong walls with a core of rubble and then covered them with carefully shaped stones.
The main pueblo building had 22 rooms on the ground floor. It might have had 6 more rooms on a second floor! The larger settlement around it included at least 37 other sites. Many of these were also stone houses. There was even a very large, special building called a Great Kiva.
One interesting fact is that Casamero Pueblo was linked to another nearby community, Andrews Ranch. They were connected by an ancient road built by the Chacoan people.
When was Casamero Pueblo discovered?
Archaeologists carefully dug up parts of the pueblo between 1966 and 1967. After the digging, the stone walls were made stable. This helps protect them so people can visit and learn about the past.
Visiting Casamero Pueblo
You can visit the ruins of Casamero Pueblo all year round. There is a short path from the parking lot that leads right to the ancient buildings. It's a great place to imagine what life was like long ago!
