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, (Mexico) | |
| 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 ancient archaeological site in Chihuahua, Mexico. It's located in the beautiful Sirupa Canyon, south of Ciudad Madera. This site was once home to people of the Paquimé culture, who built their homes inside caves.
Visiting Cueva de la Ranchería can be an adventure! Ciudad Madera has some tourist services, but getting to the site itself can be tricky. It's a long drive on a dirt road, so it's best to plan for a full day trip. Many people suggest going with an experienced guide to make the most of your visit. The stunning canyon views make the journey worthwhile.
Contents
Exploring Ancient Caves
The Madera region is famous for its many caves, which were once homes and shelters for ancient people. In 1898, a Norwegian explorer named Carl Lumholtz was one of the first to share news about these amazing cave sites. He found several, including one now known as Cuarenta Casas.
Since then, many experts have studied the area. They've learned a lot, but there's still so much to discover about these hidden cave homes!
The Madera Area: Home to Cave Dwellers
Madera was once a place where wood was cut from nearby forests. Today, its biggest draw is the ancient caves scattered around the region. These caves were perfect shelters for the people of the Paquimé culture, who built their houses right inside them.
There are several important cave sites in the Madera area:
Huápoca Caves: Homes on Cliffs
About 36 miles west of Madera, you'll find the Huápoca caves. These include "Serpiente" (Snake) and "Nido de Aguila" (Eagle's Nest) caves. They are built right into the side of a cliff, offering incredible views of the Huápoca Canyon.
Cueva de la Serpiente
This cave has 14 adobe houses that are over 1,000 years old. Imagine living in a house built inside a cave so long ago!
Nido del águila
This cave has just one house, built right on the edge of a steep cliff. Its name, "Eagle's Nest," perfectly describes its high and hidden location.
Cueva Grande: The Big Cave
Located 66 kilometers west of Madera, Cueva Grande is a bit hidden. A waterfall cascades from the top of the cave, making its entrance hard to spot. Inside, you can see two amazing two-story houses, about 800 years old. These show how clever the ancient builders were. There's also a round area used for storing grain.
La Ranchería: A Large Cave Complex
This is the main site we're talking about! It's a large cave complex about 50 kilometers south of Madera. It has many ancient remains spread out at the bottom of the Sirupa Canyon.
Cuarenta Casas: Forty Houses
Also known as Cuevas El Garabato, Cuarenta Casas means "Forty Houses." This residential complex was built between 1060 and 1205 CE. It's a fascinating site with many constructions inside 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, stone tools, and corn cobs. This mummy is now kept at the Capitan Leal Museum in Ciudad Madera and is in excellent condition. It's believed that other mummies were once here but were unfortunately damaged by visitors.
New Discoveries: Hidden Homes
In some canyons southwest of Madera, new cave complexes have been found. These ancient homes are so well hidden that they are still almost untouched! You can only see them once you are inside.
Cueva de los Fierros
This cave is high up on a canyon wall. It's about 30 meters wide and has at least 10 adobe rooms, some with two floors. The windows are shaped like a "T," which is a common style for the Paquimé culture. Many rooms are partly damaged, but you can still see the original wooden ceilings. Tools, pottery pieces, and many corn cobs were found here, showing that corn was an important food.
Cueva de la Puerta
Just a short distance from Cueva de los Fierros, Cueva de la Puerta is also on a canyon wall. It's about 25 meters wide and has traces of about 12 rooms. You can see how the ancient houses were built using braided rods and branches from local trees, then covered with adobe. Some original floors, smooth like cement, are still visible. The roofs and walls are black from centuries of cooking fires.
Ancient Cultures of the Region
Long ago, groups of hunter-gatherers came to this region from the north. They were likely part of the Mogollon, Anasazi, or Hohokam peoples. They hunted animals and gathered plants. Over time, they settled down near rivers and started farming, which led to the development of the Paquimé culture.
The Paquimé people grew corn, squash, and beans. They built communities and used the land and water wisely. Their culture is part of a larger area called Oasisamerica, which also includes the Anasazi and Hohokam cultures. In Mexico, this northern cultural region is known as "Gran Chichimeca."
The Paquimé culture began around 1000 BCE. It reached its peak between 1261 and 1300 CE, and then disappeared around 1450 CE. These people learned to farm and build homes, changing from nomads to settled villagers.
The Paquimé Culture: A Closer Look
The Paquimé culture is a key part of the Mogollon cultures. It thrived in the Casas Grandes region of Chihuahua, Mexico, especially at the large settlement known as Paquimé.
Around 700 CE, the Paquimé culture truly began. People started farming and building small, semi-underground adobe houses along the Piedras Verdes, San Pedro, and San Miguel rivers. These rivers all join to form the Casas Grandes River.
An archaeologist named Charles Di Peso studied the area and described six stages of the culture's development:
Early Settlements
The "Old Period" ended around 1100 CE. During this time, the first villages were created. People farmed seasonally, using rainwater from the mountains. They built circular homes, dug less than a meter deep, with round doors. Later, houses became square and were built next to each other. Decorated pottery, shell necklaces, and turquoise beads also appeared.
The Golden Age of Paquimé
The "Medium Period" ended in 1400 CE. This was a time of big changes in how society was organized and how cities looked.
- Buena Fe Phase: Houses were single-story with T-shaped doors and roofs supported by beams.
- Paquimé Phase: The culture reached its greatest glory! Trade with other groups grew, and special ceremonial buildings were constructed. The city had an amazing irrigation system to bring water, a ballgame court, and multi-story houses, some with up to four levels!
- Diablo Phase: Sadly, the city began to decline. It was partly abandoned due to attacks from enemies. Around 1340 CE, many people were killed, as shown by the large number of human remains found in unusual positions.
Later Times
The "Late Period" lasted from 1340 to 1660 CE. This included the first occasional meetings with Spanish explorers. The "Spaniards Period" followed, from 1660 to 1821 CE.
Amazing Building Styles
The Paquimé people had unique ways of building their homes:
T-Shaped Doors
Their adobe walls often had T-shaped doors. These were wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, usually only about a meter tall. Some believe this shape was connected to ancient spirits.
Strong Walls
They built walls using a "box system." They poured compacted mud into molds. The outside was covered with a smooth plaster made of sand, lime, and crushed oyster shells, then painted in colors like blue, green, and pink. For multi-story buildings, the lower walls were wider and stronger.
Heating and Airflow
They used special systems to control the temperature inside their homes. Doors helped with ventilation, letting smoke out from fires.
Water Systems
The Paquimé people were experts at managing water. They built an irrigation system of channels, terraces, and embankments to bring water from rivers into their city. These channels, made of rectangular stone slabs, even fed water into rooms and had a system to filter used water for steam baths. They also had a drainage system.
The Cueva La Ranchería Site
Cueva La Ranchería is a very impressive site, even larger than the famous "Cuarenta Casas" complex. It's about 50 meters long and 20 meters wide. Most of its rooms have two stories and are quite spacious. It seems a whole community lived here!
The site is tucked away at the back of the canyon in a large, semi-hidden cave. It's big enough to hold more than 50 rooms.
Inside the Rooms
The rooms at La Ranchería are larger than those in other caves in the region. Many are two stories tall. The base of this complex is a well-built stone foundation. Many walls and ceilings are black from soot, even though there were chimney-like openings. You can still see how the first-floor ceilings were made using táscate and pine tree trunks, tied together and covered with clay. This supported the second floor. One room on the second floor is spacious and has a smaller area, perhaps for children.
Ancient Art and Storage
On some walls, you can see simple black geometric paintings, typical of the Paquimé style. The complex also has a partially damaged circular silo, which was used to store corn. You can still see ancient corn cobs inside! These silos were made from pine straw and adobe. A beautiful, perfectly preserved grinding stone (metate) has also been found, along with many pottery fragments and stone tools.
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, stored corn, and shared their lives in this forgotten place. This site, hidden in the canyon, is almost perfectly preserved.
Other Nearby Caves
There's another site nearby called Cueva de la Ranchería 2, where braided corn stems were used to build adobe walls. The Pirinolas cave has an internal complex that looks like it's built right into the cave itself. There are also two other caves in the area that once held houses inside.
Cuexcomate: Ancient Barns
"Cuexcomates" are special barns, similar to those found in other ancient Mexican sites. They were used to store farm products like corn, which was essential for food and survival. Finding these shows that the people here were farmers and had systems for managing their land and water.
See also
In Spanish: Cueva de la Ranchería para niños
