The Aztec Ruins

The Aztec Ruins are a National Monument within the town of the same name in northern New Mexico.  The name "Aztec", however, is a misnomer for both the ruins and the town.  White settlers mistakenly thought that the ruins had been constructed by the well-known Aztecs of Mexico, so the name stuck, even though the place has nothing to do with the real Aztecs.  The Aztec Ruins were built by Chacoan people, but their descendants eventually left this pueblo.  The site was later reoccupied by people of the Mesa Verde culture.  The site includes two large buildings, called the West Ruin, which is open to the public, and the East Ruin, which is still mostly unexcavated.

This is a large section of the West Ruin.

The western wall of the West Ruin includes a band of dark green stones.

As with Chimney Rock, this was a return visit eight years after the first.  I don't think the structure in the next picture had been open to the public during my first visit.  It is the remains of a circular building with three concentric walls, and is located a hundred or so feet northwest of the West Ruin.

This is the smaller of two kivas that are in a plaza next to the West Ruin.

The larger kiva, known as the Great Kiva, has been reconstructed in an attempt to restore its original form and appearance.  Notice the wooden beams sticking out of the circular wall.

The inside of the Great Kiva was also reconstructed, except for the square columns replacing wooden poles, which each rested on a stack of four round flat stones, which were left on the floor.