Taos Pueblo is an ancient and culturally significant Native American community located in northern New Mexico. Taos Pueblo, also known as Pueblo de Taos, is an ancient and continuously inhabited pueblo belonging to the Taos-speaking (Tiwa) Native American tribe. It is situated approximately 1 mile north of the modern city of Taos in New Mexico. This pueblo stands as one of the oldest continually occupied communities in the United States and is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos. The pueblo encompasses tribal land covering 95,000 acres and is home to about 4,500 residents. Nestled against the backdrop of the Taos Mountains in the Sangre de Cristo Range, Taos Pueblo is uniquely positioned on both sides of the Rio Pueblo de Taos, also known as Rio Pueblo, and Red Willow Creek, a small stream that flows through the heart of the pueblo. The headwaters of this stream originate from the nearby Blue Lake, or Ba Whyea. Here’s an overview of Taos Pueblo:
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, situated in the American Southwest, is a remarkable United States National Historical Park that features a concentration of ancient pueblos. Located in northwestern New Mexico, nestled between Albuquerque and Farmington, this park is set within a remote canyon carved by the Chaco Wash. It is renowned for preserving one of the most significant pre-Columbian cultural and historical regions in the United States. Between the years AD 900 and 1150, Chaco Canyon stood as a thriving cultural center for the Ancestral Puebloans. The Chacoans demonstrated their remarkable architectural skills by quarrying sandstone blocks and transporting timber from distant locations. They erected fifteen major complexes, which remained the largest buildings ever constructed in North America until the 19th century. Their architectural achievements are often associated with precise astronomical observations, as exemplified by the famous "Sun Dagger" petroglyph on Fajada Butte. Many Chacoan structures are believed to have been aligned to track the solar and lunar cycles, a feat that required generations of astronomical expertise and centuries of meticulously coordinated construction. Here's an overview of Chaco culture: