(Click on photos to enlarge.)
The area is beautiful and peaceful.
After seeing the ruins, you can walk on a nature
trail that has a variety of plants and animals.
This was something very interesting.
This animal jumped past me - it looked like
a common squirrel, but hopped like a rabbit.
And, it appears that it has ANTLERS!
It was a freakly little thing!
Life in Bandelier
The Ancestral Pueblo people lived here from approximately 1150 CE to 1550 CE. They built homes carved from the volcanic tuff and planted crops in mesatop fields. Corn, beans, and squash were central to their diet, supplemented by native plants and meat from deer, rabbit, and squirrel. Domesticated turkeys were used for both their feathers and meat while dogs assisted in hunting and provided companionship.
Moving On
By 1550, the Ancestral Pueblo people had moved from this area to pueblos along the Rio Grande. After over 400 years the land here could no longer support the people and a severe drought added to what were already becoming difficult times.
THE RUINS
You could climb up the ladders and take a look inside.
If you look closely, you can see many different petroglyphs on this wall.
I think this looks like an elephant!
A turkey
A sweet little red robin
