Bandelier National Monument
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The old Park Service saying that "90 percent of visitors see only 10 percent of the park" must certainly apply to Bandelier National Monument. Beyond the visitor center and easily accessible ruins near it lie 37,000 acres of wilderness, and just about every wild acre contains evidence of Anasazi occupation. Below are just three archaeological sites located off the beaten path. |
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Yapashi Pueblo
Yapashi is the largest unexcavated pueblo at
Bandelier. Between A.D. 1200 and 1475, as many
as 500 people may have lived among the pueblo's
350 rooms. The structure may have been four
stories high, but centuries of wind, rain and gravity
have reduced it to low walls and rubble. It's still a
fascinating site, though, and it remains covered in
potsherds and small stone artifacts.
Stone Lions
The Stone Lions are two cougars, each
about six feet long, carved into volcanic
tuff boulders. The prehistoric sculpture
have suffered considerable vandalism in
more recent centuries, but you can still
tell they are lions. Some archaeologists
believe the site functioned as a hunting shrine.
Painted Cave
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The Painted Cave is one of the most spectacular pictograph sites in the Southwest. This colorful, highly animated gallery contains both prehistoric and historic rock art. The lofty alcove that houses the pictographs is inaccessible to hikers, thus I was forced to take the photo at left from a considerable distance, and unfortunately I did not pack a telephoto lens. The larger photo at right is the same picture, but I blew it up, cropped it, and digitally cranked up the contrast to make the pictographs more visible. In addition to seeing rock art, I encountered a black bear and her cub near this cave. It was a wonderful sight and I wish I had gotten a picture of them, but photographically speaking, I draw the line at harassing nervous mamma bears protecting their babies.