Cueva de la Ranchería facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paquimé - Mogollón Culture, Archaeological Site Oasisamerica |
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| Name: | Cueva de la Ranchería | |
| Type: | Archaeology | |
| Location: | Ciudad Madera, Chihuahua Mexico |
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| Region: | Mesoamerica, Oasisamerica, (México) | |
| Coordinates | 28°59′40.38″N 108°12′31.75″W / 28.9945500°N 108.2088194°W | |
| Culture: | Mogollon - Paquimé | |
| Language: | ||
| Chronology: | 950 a 1060 d.C. (?) | |
| Period: | ||
| INAH Web Page | Non existent | |
Cueva de la Ranchería is an amazing archaeological site. It is located south of Ciudad Madera in the Sirupa Canyon, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
Getting to the site can be a bit tricky. It's a long drive on a dirt road. You might need to plan for a trip of nine to ten hours. It's best to visit with an experienced guide. The area is very beautiful, with hot springs nearby. You can also see the San Andrés Sirupa mission, which was destroyed long ago.
Contents
Exploring Ancient Caves
In 1898, a Norwegian explorer named Carl Lumholtz first shared news about caves in the Madera region. He found several sites, including Cueva del Garabato, which is now known as Cuarenta Casas.
Many experts have explored this region since then. They focused mostly on the areas around Cuarenta Casas. Some of these explorers include:
- H.A. Carey in 1931
- E.B. Sayles in 1936
- A.V. Kidder in 1939
- R.H. Lister in 1946 and 1958
- Eduardo Contreras in 1959
- Arturo Guevara in 1986
- David Pearson, Fernando Sánchez M. and D. Phillips in 1990
Even with all this work, we are still learning about these caves. Detailed studies are just beginning.
The Madera Region: Home to Ancient Cultures
Madera was once a place where wood was cut from nearby forests. Today, its main attractions are the ancient caves. These caves were once homes and shelters for people of the Paquimé culture. They built their houses right inside the caves!
There are many important Paquimé culture sites in the Madera area. Here are some of the most well-known caves:
Huápoca Caves: Homes on Cliffs
The Huápoca caves are about 36 miles west of Madera. You reach them by a dirt road. These caves include "Serpiente" (Snake) and "Nido de Aguila" (Eagle's Nest). They are built right into the side of a cliff. They offer amazing views of the Huápoca Canyon.
Cueva de la Serpiente
This cave has 14 adobe houses. These homes are over 1,000 years old.
Nido del águila
This cave has only one house. It was built right on the edge of a steep cliff. This makes it look like an eagle's nest.
Cueva Grande: Hidden by a Waterfall
Cueva Grande is about 66 kilometers west of Madera. It is hidden behind trees and a waterfall. The waterfall flows from the top of the cave into a stream. Inside, you can find two houses that are 800 years old. They have two stories and show how ancient people built their homes. There is also a round area for storing grain.
La Ranchería: A Large Cave Complex
This cave complex is 50 kilometers south of Madera. It has a very large area with ancient remains. It sits at the bottom of the Sirupa canyon.
Cueva del Puente
This cave is located 45 kilometers north of Madera.
Cuarenta Casas: Forty Houses
Cuarenta Casas is also known as Cuevas El Garabato. It was built between 1060 and 1205 CE. This complex was a residential area for the Paquimé culture. It has many buildings and a large cave, protected by a small waterfall.
Cueva de la Momia: The Mummy Cave
Inside this cave, explorers found the mummified body of an adult man. He was surrounded by offerings like pottery and corn. The mummy is now in the Capitan Leal Museum in Ciudad Madera. It is in excellent condition. This cave likely had more mummies. Sadly, some were destroyed by visitors. The cave has two levels. The second level has over ten rooms that are in great shape.
New Discoveries: Hidden Homes
In some canyons southwest of Madera, new sites have been found. Ancient communities built homes in these caves and rock shelters. These places are so well hidden that they are still almost untouched today. You can't easily see these caves from the outside. You only know they are there once you are inside them.
Cueva de los Fierros
This cave is on a steep canyon wall. It is about 30 meters long. It has at least 10 adobe rooms, some with two floors. The windows are "T" shaped, which is typical of the Paquimé culture. Many rooms are partly damaged. But the original wooden ceilings are still there. Tools like scrapers, knives, and pottery pieces were found inside. There were also many corn cobs, showing that corn was eaten and stored here.
Cueva de la Puerta
This cave is a few hundred meters from Cueva de los Fierros. It is also on the canyon wall and is about 25 meters long. It has traces of about 12 rooms. Sadly, some parts were damaged by people looking for treasures. You can see how these ancient houses were built. They used braided rods and branches from local trees. Then, they shaped adobe walls over these braids. The braids are still well preserved. The original floor in one room is very smooth, almost like cement. The roofs and walls are black from centuries of cooking fires.
There is another smaller cave across the canyon. It has only three rooms but is very well preserved. Half a kilometer above, there is a small cave with one tiny house. It has a great view of the canyon. This spot was probably used for watching or guarding the area.
Ancient Cultures of the Region
Groups of hunter-gatherers came to this region from the north. They were likely from the Mogollon, Anasazi, or Hohokam cultures. They followed the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. These groups used plants and hunted small animals like turkeys. Over time, they settled near rivers and developed the Paquimé culture.
Evidence of the Mogollon has been found here. This includes simple pottery pieces. The people who built these sites were villagers. They used the environment wisely and grew corn, squash, and beans. This shows they had a community system for farming.
The Casas Grandes culture is a sub-region of the Mogollon culture. It is part of the larger Oasisamerica area, along with the Anasazi and Hohokam cultures. This northern cultural region is called "Gran Chichimeca" in Mexico. In the United States, it is known as the American Southwest.
The main site of this culture is Paquimé in Chihuahua. It was the center for trade in the region. The first settlements here date back to 1000 BCE. The culture was strongest between 1261 and 1300 CE. It disappeared around 1450 CE. The challenging environment shaped these people. They changed from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled farmers.
First Cultural Stage: Desert Art
The first stage is called the "desert" stage. During this time, ancient people made petroglyphs (rock carvings) and cave paintings. These were likely for hunting ceremonies. The most famous example is in Samalayuca.
Second Cultural Stage: Cliffside Homes
The "Mountain Stage" is about the cliff houses. Caves and holes became shelters and homes. These homes needed to be comfortable in extreme temperatures. They also protected people from attacks. The Paquimé culture grew strongest in Paquimé. This was a large city with buildings up to three stories tall. This city gave its name to the Casas Grandes culture. Besides religious art, they also created beautiful pottery.
The Paquimé Culture: A Closer Look
The Paquimé culture is part of the Mogollon cultures. It is sometimes called part of the Southwest or the North, but now it's often called Oasisamerica. This culture reached its peak in the Casas Grandes region of Chihuahua, Mexico. This area was a path for ancient groups migrating south. Around 700 CE, the Paquimé culture began. People started farming and building small adobe houses. These were built near the "Piedras Verdes," "San Pedro," and "San Miguel" rivers. These rivers join to form the Casas Grandes River.
Archaeologist Charles Di Peso studied the area. He suggested six stages for the culture's development.
Stage I: Pre-Ceramic Horizon
This stage's beginning is unknown. It ended between 100 and 200 CE.
Stage II: Undecorated Pottery
This period ended around 800 CE. Pottery was simple and had no decorations.
Stage III: Old Period Villages
This stage ended around 1100 CE. During this time, the first villages were built. People farmed seasonally, using rainwater from the mountains.
This period has two early phases:
- Convent Phase
- Pilón Phase
During these phases, people started building round homes. They dug a circle less than a meter deep for the base. These homes were about 10 square meters. The door was round. In the middle of the village, there was a larger community house.
- Perros Bravos Phase: During this phase, houses became bigger. People started building them next to each other. The bases changed from round to square. Decorated pottery appeared. Also, shell necklaces, small turquoise beads, and copper items were found.
Stage IV: Medium Period Transformation
This period ended in 1400 CE. Society and the city's appearance changed a lot.
This period has two phases:
- Buena Fe Phase: Houses had only one story. Doors were T-shaped, and roofs were supported by beams.
- Paquimé Phase: The culture reached its greatest strength. Trade with other groups grew. People built ceremonial structures. The city had an irrigation system of channels for water. A ballgame court was built. They also started building multi-story houses, some with up to four levels.
- Diablo Phase: The city was partly abandoned. The culture began to decline due to attacks from enemies. Around 1340 CE, the city was attacked. Many people were killed, as shown by the many human remains found in strange positions.
Stage V: Late Period and First Contact
This period lasted from 1340 to 1660 CE.
It includes:
- Robles Phase
- First sporadic Spaniards contact Phase: This is when the first Spanish explorers arrived.
Stage VI: Spanish Period
This period lasted from 1660 to 1821 CE.
How They Built Their Homes
T-Shaped Doors
Doors were shaped like a "T" in adobe walls. They were wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. They were also quite short, barely one meter high. Some believe this shape was linked to ancient spirits.
Strong Walls
They built walls using a "box system." They used molds to pour mud without organic material, then compacted it. The outside was covered with stucco made of sand, lime, and oyster shells. Then, it was painted blue, green, and pink. The walls had no deep foundations. They were built from slots about 25 cm deep. For multi-level buildings, lower walls were wider (up to 1.40 m) and higher walls were narrower (50 cm).
Furnaces and Airflow
They used furnaces to control the inside temperature. Ventilation was built into the doors to let smoke out. The size of these openings matched the size of the room.
Stairs and Ramps
These were built into the buildings to move between levels.
Clever Water System
They had "water retention systems." An irrigation system of channels, terraces, and embankments brought water from rivers into the city. Rectangular stone channels, 30 cm wide, fed water into rooms. They also had a system to filter used water from steam baths. There was even a drain system.
The Cueva La Ranchería Site
Cueva La Ranchería is larger than the "Cuarenta Casas" complex. It is 50 meters long and 20 meters wide. Most of the rooms have two stories and are very large. There are also storage areas called "cuexcomates" (see note below). These were made of adobe and straw to store corn.
The site is located deep inside the canyon, in a large, partly hidden cave. It is big enough to hold a complex of 50 rooms or more.
Rooms: Two Stories and Soot
The rooms here are bigger than in other caves in the region. Many have two stories. It seems a whole town lived here. The base of this complex is a well-built stone trench. Many rooms have walls and ceilings blackened by soot from fires. In one room, you can see how the first-floor ceiling was built. They used táscate and pine tree trunks, tied together and covered with clay. This supported the second floor. The second-floor room is spacious and has a small room, perhaps for children.
Ancient Paintings and Storage
On the walls of one section, there are Paquimé-style paintings. They have simple black geometric designs. The complex also has a circular silo that is partly destroyed. These silos stored corn. You can still see ancient corn cobs inside. The silos were made with pine straw and adobe and were circular. There is a beautiful grinding stone (metate) in perfect condition. Many pottery fragments and stone tools were also found.
Looking at these ancient remains, it's easy to imagine the people who lived here 1,000 years ago. They chatted, carried water from the creek, and stored corn. This forgotten site, deep in the canyon, is almost untouched.
Other Nearby Caves
There is another site nearby called Cueva de la Ranchería 2. Here, braided corn stems were used to build adobe walls. The Pirinolas cave has an internal complex that seems built right into the cave itself. There are two other caves in the area that also had houses built inside them.
Cuexcomate: Ancient Barns
These types of barns, called cuexcomates, are similar to others found in highlands like Cacaxtla. They show that people had structures to store farm products. This was important for their food and survival. Archaeological evidence shows that these people farmed and had systems to manage soil and water.
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See also
In Spanish: Cueva de la Ranchería para niños
