Archeology around Taos
While modern-day Taos has all the creature comforts and amenities one might need, it wasn’t always that way around here. Old mingles with the new in Taos, with historical buildings like San Francisco de Asís Mission Church predating the town’s founding. For true history buffs, our past goes back even further than that! Did you know New Mexico is the third state for archaeological findings in the United States?
In this blog edition, we share some well-preserved archaeological sites around Taos to explore and learn more about our region’s ancestral roots.
One of the most significant historical locations in New Mexico and the American Southwest is literally in our backyard. Taos Pueblo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. Just a five-minute drive from our El Pueblo Lodge, this collection of multistoried adobe dwellings have been inhabited continuously for 1,000 years. Taos Pueblo is well worth a visit and offers tourists a rare glimpse back in time to witness how ancestral Puebloans have lived in Taos for millennia.
For a day trip somewhere truly spectacular, Bandelier National Monument is under an hour and a half away from Taos and contains ancient cliff dwellings and petroglyphs dating back over 800 years. Ancient ruins of cliffside homes and kivas can be explored within the shaded valley, along with some excellent hiking and breathtaking views. We highly recommend it!
Another excellent afternoon day trip can be spent at the Puye Cliff Dwellings In the Santa Fe National Forest. Another easy 90-minute drive from Taos leads to a collection of 1100-year-old two-story dwellings, with the interior cave dwellings running a mile across and containing over 150 rooms. Once inhabited by the ancestors of the Santa Clara Pueblo population, these ruins were once home to 1,500 people.
Wherever your adventures take you in New Mexico, there is a wealth of history to be uncovered and stories to be told. Just remember to come back home to our El Pueblo Lodge for a well-deserved slumber! Happy exploring, and stay safe.
