Bandelier National Monument

1200AD Ancestral Pueblo people built homes at the cliffs

Millie climping to indian cave dwelling

About a million years ago in what is now northern New Mexico the Jemez volcano had two violent eruptions. Enough material was ejected to cover a four hundred mile square area with volcanic ash to a depth of 1000 feet. The now sunken core of Jemez is still visible and is now a protected National Preserve called Valles Caldera. The plateau of compressed volcanic ash is easily corroded by the elements and deep canyons now radiate out from the caldera.

Los Alamos is located 15 miles or so east of the caldera. The town and the nuclear research facility that is its claim to fame are clustered on whatever flat land (flat being a relative term) available between the jagged canyons. Some of the homes and buildings sit very close to the steep cliffs, I read once that the main cause of death in the town is people walking around their yards at night and falling off the edge.

Fourteen miles southeast of the caldera is the 34 thousand acre Bandelier National Monument. Within the park, time in the 100’s of 1000’s of years has carved the Frijoles Canyon into a rugged but uniquely fascinating landscape. What makes Frijoles different from many other canyons in the area is water flows thru it year round.

The water supply is most certainly the reason early peoples migrated thru the area, archeological research dating back 10,000 years finds evidence of Ancestral Pueblo people in the valley. About 1200 years ago they started farming on the plateau and in the canyon, permanent settlements were built, these were the cliff dwellers. Later a walled village (The Plaza of Tyuonyi) was built on the valley floor, but it is believed that the people still spent winters in the protection of the cliff dwellings.

This is a very condensed version of one million years of history and we highly recommend a visit to Bandelier to learn more about this strangely attractive place. It is only about a ½ hour drive from Santa Fee and well worth the time.

Millie and Larry at the Cliff Dwellers caves

Indian caves from across the valley floor