chaco canyon (n.m.)

Examines the Native American ruins in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, and nearby areas built by the Anasazi, precursors of the Pueblo Indians, and describes the way of life of their inhabitants.

Provides factual details about Anasazi life in 1130 A.D. through the story of three young people and their families who are forced to leave their home because of drought and travel the road to Center Place in what is now northwestern New Mexico.

Articles originally published in "National Geographic" tell of the archeological searches for the ruins of Chaco Canyon, where the Navaho, Zuni, and Hopi Indian tribes lived, as well as the Pueblo Bonito expedition.

Relates the nineteenth-century discovery of cliff dwellings in the Chaco Canyon of northwest New Mexico, the excavations of the ancient ruins, and what the artifacts reveal about the civilization of the ancient Pueblo Indians.

A photo essay of a journey to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, examining Anasazi ruins, culture, and theories of why the Anasazi abandoned the region.