Fajada Butte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fajada Butte |
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Fajada Butte mid-morning
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,623 ft (2,019 m) NGVD 29 |
| Geography | |
 Fajada Butte
Location in New Mexico
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| Location | San Juan County, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Topo map | USGS Pueblo Bonito |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cretaceous |
| Mountain type | Sandstone |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | circa 850 AD |
| Easiest route | closed to visitors |
Fajada Butte is a cool, flat-topped hill (called a butte) located in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwest New Mexico, USA. It stands about 135 meters (443 feet) tall above the canyon floor. Even though there's no water on the butte, ancient people built small homes there, high up on the cliffs. Pottery found there shows these homes were used between the 900s and 1200s.
This butte was very important to the ancient Chacoan people. On one side, there are remains of a huge ramp, about 95 meters (312 feet) high and 230 meters (755 feet) long. Building something so big without a clear everyday use suggests that Fajada Butte was a special, sacred place for the Chacoan people.
Contents
The Sun Dagger Mystery
In 1977, an artist named Anna Sofaer was exploring Chaco Canyon. She was helping to record ancient rock art. On Fajada Butte, she found something amazing: three large stone slabs leaning against a cliff. These slabs created special patterns of light and shadow on two spiral carvings (called petroglyphs) on the cliff wall.
She noticed that around 11:15 AM on the summer solstice (the longest day of the year), a "dagger" of light perfectly split the larger spiral. This was like a natural calendar! Similar light daggers also marked the winter solstice (the shortest day) and the equinoxes (when day and night are equal).
Moon's Calendar
The site also tracked the moon! At certain points in the moon's 18- to 19-year cycle (called a lunar standstill), shadows from the rising moon would perfectly line up with the spirals. This shows how advanced the Chacoan people were in understanding the sky.
Why the Sun Dagger Changed
Sadly, the "Sun Dagger" doesn't work as perfectly anymore. In 1989, one of the stone slabs shifted because of erosion from people walking on the butte. This changed how the light and shadows fall. To protect the site, the National Park Service closed Fajada Butte to visitors in the 1980s. The stones were made stable in 1990, but the shifted slab was not moved back.
Other Sky Watching Sites
Anna Sofaer's research group, the Solstice Project, believes that many of the large buildings in the ancient Chacoan culture were also built to align with the sun and moon cycles. This shows how important the sky was to their beliefs and daily life.
Debates About the Site
There are some discussions among experts about the Sun Dagger site. Some wonder exactly when the spirals were carved. Others discuss how important this site was compared to other ways the Pueblo people tracked the sun. Some experts think the light and shadow patterns were definitely meant to mark the solstices and equinoxes. However, there's less agreement on whether the site was used to track the moon's full cycle.
Some also suggest that while it was a special place, it might not have been the main way they kept track of the calendar. Other methods, like watching the sun rise and set over the horizon, could be more precise. Still, everyone agrees that Fajada Butte was a very special place where the ancient Chacoan people connected with the sky.
See also
In Spanish: Butte de Fajada para niños
