We are in Aztec, New Mexico, home of the Aztec Ruins. And no, the ancient Aztecs did not build the ruins. The ruins are of an ancient pueblo built by the natives in the 12th century. We also visited Salmon Ruins, just outside of Bloomfield, about 15 miles away. Like the ruins we visited in Hovenweep, the peoples that built these villages were part of the culture that built the villages in Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. In addition to the ancient ruins, Salmon Ruins has the 19th century farmstead of the Salmon family, that settled next to the ruins and for which it is named.
Both the Aztec and Salmon Ruins allow you walk a prescribed trail through the site. Many of the rooms have been back-filled to provide support for the walls and keep them from collapsing. In the Aztec ruins the trail leads through a few rooms with the original ceilings and the very small connecting doorways. It is hard to imagine living in them, they are so dark and bare. The Aztec ruins has a great kiva that was rebuilt from the in-ground remains and is very impressive. The west outer wall of the pueblo has green lines not seen in other pueblos from the period. Was it purely decorative? Or did it have a spiritual or cultural meaning? Who knows?

The campground we are at is on Ruins Road, only a scant half mile from the Aztec ruins. We originally planned to stay here a week, but the weather and the campground are so nice we decided to stay a month. The cottonwoods are just brilliant right now, glowing in the autumn sunshine. We have had a few rainy days, and the nights get frosty, but we aren’t complaining.

As usual, there are more pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/campory57104/