The weird terrain is the result of an unimaginable rain of ash from a huge prehistoric volcanic eruption nearby... over the centuries, as the layer of ash (several hundred feet thick in places) hardened, water trickled through everywhere, forming these crazy fluid stone sculptures. When the Anasazi first wandered into this magical valley, they must've been delighted to see these pockmarked, hollowed-out walls, ready to be used for all kinds of things.
The site consists mainly of a narrow valley with cliffs on either side. There's a river on the west side, a dense forest and mountains at the north end, and there's really only one easy path into the valley from the south. These people chose their site well: easily defensible, with room and resources for a little farming, fishing, and hunting in the forest. They built a large, circular complex of two-story pueblos in the middle of the valley floor... here are the ruins of the foundations, looking south. It's like an apartment complex. I imagine they led short, busy but relaxed lives, surrounded by beauty, and doing everything in harmony with the natural world around them. I don't know much about the political situation hereabouts between 1200-1500 AD, but although an occasional raid might have been a problem, they were probably not bothered much here. But the Anasazi "vanished", in historical terms... these widely-scattered cliff ruins, and some beautiful tools, totems, and household items, along with some bones, are all that remain. The blood might have mingled, but there are no people calling themselves "Anasazi" these days, unlike the Navajo and Hopi people, etc.
A closer look at one of the ceremonial kivas inside the circle of apartments... at one time, there was likely a wood and sod roof over this pit. Stones, mortar, and lumber were all easily found right here, but it was all schlepped, mixed, and tooled (strictly stone Age; no iron) by hand. Lots of hard work!
The real draw here is the cliff face on the east side of the valley... it is chock full of chambers and carvings. Some structures, like this one, were rebuilt by the Forestry Service and the CCC in the first few decades of the last century... the site is still very carefully protected and maintained, with a very nice and unobtrusive complex of worker housing, museum, and a lodge with a gift shop.
For more info:
http://www.abqjournal.com/venue/travel/ ... delier.htm
Next: Bandelier part 2
