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Free Traveling Guides » States » New Mexico » Northern PueblosPuye Cliff Dwellings
The Puye Cliff Dwelling, situated near the Santa Clara Reservation, provide a view of centuries of culture, which has been wonderfully preserved. It gives a unique opportunity to relive the ancient life of the Native Americans. The first dwellings one will encounter in the area were constructed around 1450. The other dwellings built on a 200-foot (60-m) cliff face date back to 1200. It is estimated that the dwelling population was at its height by 1540, when Puye had become the center for several villages of the Pajarito Plateau.
At present, this settlement exemplifies the Pajarito culture in its symbolic decorations and the placement of its houses. Most of the dwellings in the area comprise of a series of rooms and caves that be reached by sturdy steps and ladders. The visitors can clamber up and down, climbing in and out of the homes. The Puye Dwellings can be reached by heading north, at the intersection of NM 502 and NM 30, for 4 miles (6 km) to the Indian Road 601 and then, traveling this paved road for another 7 miles (11 km). This ancient site is well worth visiting but the ruins and recreation area was closed indefinitely after the recent fires devastated the area.
- Telephone: (505) 753-7326
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