The 0.3-mile trail heads to pueblo village ruins, petroglyphs, and an interpretive center featuring archeological finds at the site.
To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 40, exit north onto Park Road and enter the park. After passing through the entrance station, continue along the road, which passes several overlooks. Drive under the freeway. After crossing the Puerco River bridge, turn left/east into the Puerco Pueblo parking lot. The paved trail leaves from the lot’s southeast corner.
When the trail splits, go left/southeast.
Puerco Pueblo ruins
The trail in short order passes the Puerco Pueblo ruins, which date to 1250-1380 CE. At the time, the ruins were a fortified village shaped like a rectangle, with more than 100 rooms encircling a central courtyard. The walls were constructed using local sandstone blocks held together with mud mortar. The walls then were covered with plaster. The rooms served as both living spaces and storage areas. Interestingly, there were no windows or doors, and access to the rooms required climbing ladders. There also are several kivas, or subterranean rooms that have a hearth at the center.
Up to 200 people might have lived at the site at any one time. When summer rains filled the nearby Puerco Pueblo floodplain, the villagers could raise corn, beans and squash.
Archeologists have excavated only about a third of the site.
Numerous artifacts have been discovered in the vicinity of the village, such as petrified wood arrows, ceramic ladles and jars, stone axe heads, food remnants, and mano and metate sets utilized for grinding seeds and grains. The pottery fragments come from various Colorado Plateau tribes and cultures – including the Chacoim Cibola, Tusayan, and Hopi – showing that the village and the current national park were once a crossroads and meeting point. Some ceramics date to around 700 CE.
Humans have been in the area much longer than that though. Some of the more than a 1000 archeological sites in the park show people have at least walked through the area as long as 13,000 years ago and possibly even earlier.
By 1380 CE, the village had been deserted due to climate change. Rising temperatures led to decreased rainfall, causing the once lush grasslands to transform into a desert. In addition, the river that used to flow throughout the year had dried up for most of the year.
Petroglyphs
When the trail splits, go left/southeast. This heads to a set of petroglyphs that were created by carving into a layer of dark desert varnish, which is a mixture of clays, minerals, and oils that gradually build up on the surface of rocks. Some carvings reveal the lighter rock beneath it.
The meaning behind the carved stick figures, animals, and geometric shapes has largely been lost to history. However, modern indigenous tribes believe that one image, depicting two delta-V’s pointing at a staircase in a rectangle, is a symbol of migration. Another image, featuring a large circular face, is likely representative of kachinas, which are spirit beings in the Pueblo religion and cosmology.
As for the bird with a long curved bill, its significance remains unclear. It could potentially symbolize the artist's affiliation with the Crane Clan, be an illustration from a Hopi story about a giant bird that visits villages to eat bad children, or have an entirely different meaning altogether.
The summer solstice likely was indicated by the presence of a spiral. During this time, in late June, sunlight would extend down a cliff and illuminate the center of the spiral around 9 a.m. This knowledge was crucial for agricultural purposes and predicting rainfall patterns, thus playing a significant role in various ceremonies. To locate the solstice spiral, search for a dark rock featuring two prominent feet drawings on one side.
Interpretive center
Next return to the main trail and go left/west. You’ll see a couple of more petroglyphs along the way.
Take the trail to the small interpretive center. It displays artifacts and includes interpretive panels describing the park’s and broader region’s pre-colonial history.
From the interpretive center, you can go northeast back to the pueblo’s edge. Return to the main trail by heading north and then on to the parking lot.
As the entire hike is unshaded, be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and hat.
TOPO MAP
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