San Lazaro archaeological site facts for kids
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San Lazaro
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San Lazaro Glaze polychrome jar, 1490-1550, Heard Museum
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| Nearest city | Santa Fe, New Mexico |
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| Area | 300 acres (120 ha) |
| Built | 1300 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000490 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
San Lazaro is a very old place in New Mexico, USA. It's an archaeological site, which means it's where scientists study the remains of past human life. This site was once home to a group of Pueblo people. These people are part of the Tanoan groups.
San Lazaro is located near the Galisteo River, south of Santa Fe. People lived here when Spanish explorers first arrived in the 1500s. The Pueblo people left San Lazaro after the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. Many of them are thought to have moved to First Mesa with the Hopi people. In 1964, San Lazaro was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical place.
Exploring the San Lazaro Site
San Lazaro is one of many ancient sites in the Galisteo Basin. This area was historically home to the Tanoan people. The San Lazaro site is one of the biggest in the valley.
Experts believe it had between two and five thousand rooms. These rooms were part of several large buildings called room blocks. They were built on the south side of the river. Other interesting things found at the site include special ovens called kilns. There was also a canal to move water and a shrine on a hilltop. The entire site covers more than 175 hectares (about 432 acres). An archaeologist named Nels Nelsen studied the site in the 1910s.
A Look Back in Time at San Lazaro
European explorers first came to the Galisteo River basin in 1581-1582. This was during the Chamuscado and Rodríguez Expedition. Some researchers think San Lazaro might have been called "Malagón" by these early explorers.
We know people lived at San Lazaro when Juan de Oñate started the Spanish province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México in the late 1590s. The people of San Lazaro were very involved in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. During this revolt, they took control of Santa Fe. However, they faced many losses when the Spanish took the area back.
In 1695, the Spanish Governor Diego de Vargas made the people leave their pueblo. He then settled Mexican families there. The original inhabitants were first moved to Pecos Pueblo. Many of these people are believed to have later moved to the Tewa villages on the Hopi First Mesa.
