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Exploring the Paquimé Archaeological Site
by Ron Mader
Para mí sólo recorrer los caminos que tienen
corazón, cualquier camino que tenga corazón. (I only
trek the paths that have heart, whatever path that has heart.)
- Mexico
Notebook |
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| MEXICO
-- The northwest section of Chihuahua is home to many archaeological
sites, the most famous of which are the Paquimé Archaeological
Site, 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) south of Nuevo Casas Grandes. The
site was declared a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1998.
This conglomeration of adobe houses was home to the Paquimé
civilization, which settled in northern Mexico between A.D. 900
and 1340. At the end of the 15th century it was destroyed by enemies
and abandoned. Since then the roofs have collapsed, leaving only
the walls, plastered in a brilliant white that contrasts strongly
with the nearby vegetation.
Some of the buildings were once three stories tall, much like Chaco
Canyon to the north in present-day New
Mexico. The layout resembles a maze.
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HISTORY
The Paquimé were farmers and traders. You'll see the remains
of the adobe hutches where they kept turkeys, a bird indigenous
to the Americas. Artifacts show that they exchanged goods with the
Anasazi in the north and groups in Central
Mexico.
The Mesoamerican influence is apparent in the ball court and the
monuments to Quetzalcoatl. One of the successes of the civilization
was its production of multicolored pots made without a potter's
wheel. You'll see examples in the museum, and if the style appeals
to you, local potters continue that tradition in nearby Juan Mata
Ortiz.
Visit the Museum of Northern Mexico Cultures next to the archaeological
site. The museum exhibits artifacts from the Paquimé culture
as well as surrounding indigenous groups -- the Chichimeca, Mogollon,
O'odham, and Anasazi. The museum has various fossils of mammals
and a large collection of arrowheads from Clovis and Folsom.
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VISITING?
LOCATION -- The Paquimé Archaeological
Site is located in the state of Chihuahua.
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TRANSPORTATION -- The Paquimé archaeological
site is well-marked for anyone traveling to Casas Grandes. The site
is located just outside the town of Casas Grandes, ten minutes from
the town of Nuevo Casas Grandes, which is on Highway 10, midway
between Buenaventura to the south and Janos to the north. Buses
run between the Nuevo Casas Grandes and Casas Grandes every 30 minutes,
if not even more frequently. If you're coming from Ciudad Juárez,
take Highway 45 south until you reach El Sueco, and then take Highway
10 west. If you're coming from Agua Prieta, Sonora, take Highway
2 east until you reach the town of Janos and head south on Highway
10.
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SEMINARS
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