Aztec Ruins National Monument

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Aztec Ruins National Monument
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)

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Location	San Juan County, New Mexico, U.S.
Nearest city	Aztec
Coordinates	36°50′09″N 107°59′53″W / 36.8358370°N 107.9981235°W / 36.8358370; -107.9981235Coordinates: 36°50′09″N 107°59′53″W / 36.8358370°N 107.9981235°W / 36.8358370; -107.9981235^[1]
Area	318 acres (129 ha)^[2]
Created	January 24, 1923 (1923-Jan-24)
Visitors	52,756 (in 2017)^[3]
Governing body	National Park Service
Website	Aztec Ruins National Monument

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of	Chaco Culture National Historical Park

U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Type	U.S. historic district
Designated	October 18, 1966
Reference no.	66000484^[4]

N.M. State Register of Cultural Properties
Designated	May 21, 1971
Reference no.	55

The Aztec Ruins National Monument in northwestern New Mexico, USA consists of preserved structures constructed by the Pueblo Indians. The national monument lies on the western bank of the Animas River in Aztec, New Mexico, about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Farmington. Additional Puebloan structures can be found in , about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south. Archaeological evidence puts the construction of the ruins in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Puebloan-built ruins were dubbed the "Aztec Ruins" by 19th century American settlers who misattributed their construction to the Aztecs.^[5]

The site was declared "Aztec Ruin National Monument" on January 24, 1923. "Ruin" was changed to "Ruins" after a boundary change, on July 2, 1928. As a historical property of the National Park Service, the monument was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) listed the Chaco Culture as a World Heritage Site on December 8, 1987. That listing specifically included the Aztec Ruins.^[6]

The monument is on the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway, one of New Mexico's Scenic Byways.^[7]

The property was part of a 160-acre (65 ha) homestead owned by H.D. Abrams, who supported the preservation of the ruins. The H.D. Abrams House in Aztec is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[8]

Aztec West, with reconstructed great kiva (right)

The restored Great Kiva at Aztec Ruins

NPS map

References[]

^ "Aztec Ruins National Monument". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
^ "Listing of acreage as of December 31, 2011" (PDF). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ "National Park Service, Aztec Ruins, Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved November 18, 2019.
^ "World Heritage List: Chaco Culture". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
^ Trail of the Ancients. Archived August 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine New Mexico Tourism Department. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
^ "National Register of Historic Places". NPS.gov. Retrieved April 10, 2018.

External links[]

"The National Parks: Index 2001–2003". Washington, D. C., United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service website
American Southwest, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
UNESCO World Heritage site
Media related to Aztec Ruins National Monument at Wikimedia Commons

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Aztec Ruins National Monument

See also[]

References[]

External links[]