Bandelier National Monument, New MexicoWing, Kittridge A.
History
Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
Wing, Kittridge A.
Bandelier National Monument (N.M.)
One difficulty you may encounter in understanding the makeup of the
Pajarito cliffs stems from the very different appearance of the two
opposite walls of such a canyon as Frijoles. In the north wall, facing
the sun, the cliffs stand bold and somewhat barren; in the south and
shadowed wall, there are no prominent cliffs, but rather a rough slope
of boulders overgrown with trees and brush. Because of this contrast, it
might be difficult for you to realize that the two walls are made up of
nearly identical rocks. The difference in appearance is due simply to
the difference in exposure. The north wall, hot and dry in the sun and
subject to extremes of temperature, has never had a heavy vegetative
cover and has eroded into a cliff; the south wall, relatively cool and
moist, has been able to support a growth of plants which have held and
produced soil sufficient to mask the underlying rocks.
As mentioned earlier, the geology of this locality is complicated to
such a degree that the foregoing discussion should be considered as only
a general outline. The whole story of the Jemez volcano has not yet been
worked out in detail, for the eruptive activity was on a scale so vast
and involved such complex forces that geologists are continuing to
evolve new concepts as new facts come to light.
_Guide to the Area_
FRIJOLES CANYON. Monument headquarters are at the terminus of the
approach road, on the floor of Frijoles Canyon. This center of
development is the focal point of activity throughout the year. Listed
below are the features of interest to be found in and around the
headquarters area; reference to the map on pages 20-21 will help to
locate the points mentioned.
1. _Administration Building and Museum._ This building contains a
reception information desk manned by park rangers and a lobby from which
visitors leave to walk to the ruins. Reference books are available from
the monument library on request, and a stock of publications on
pertinent subjects is for sale.
The museum occupies a part of the headquarters building. Three rooms of
exhibits present Indian artifacts and information on the life and
origins of the prehistoric people, and on the modern Pueblo Indians of
the vicinity. A visit to the museum is advisable before making a trip to
any of the ruins, since the exhibits provide a background against which
the ruins are better understood and appreciated.
2. _Tyuonyi Ruin_ lies about 500 yards by trail up the canyon from
headquarters. This ruin is one of the principal way-stations on the loop
trail over which the trips are routed. Other features on this same loop
are an unexcavated ruin, the Big Kiva, Sun House, Cave Kiva, and Long
House.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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