c. 850–1150 CEReputable sourceWell documented
The Ancestral Puebloans of Chaco Canyon
On the timeline · around c. 850–1150 CE ·
What happened
In the high desert of what is now New Mexico, the Ancestral Puebloans built Chaco Canyon into a monumental center of a wide Southwestern world. Its multistory 'great houses,' such as Pueblo Bonito with hundreds of rooms, were aligned to the sun and moon and linked by a network of straight roads across the region.
Why it matters
Chaco was one of the most sophisticated societies in North America, a hub of trade, astronomy, and architecture centuries before European contact — a reminder that a rich urban civilization flourished here long before 1607.
Sources
- US National Park Service. Chaco Culture — History & Culture · Reputable source