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Paquimé
Paquimé is the modern-day name given to the pre-Columbian archeological site located immediately south of Casas Grandes. Archeologists regard Paquimé as one of the most significant sites in northwestern Mexico. Today it is a popular tourist destination. Paquimé is the largest known site (260 acres) between the Mesoamerican sites of central and southern Mexico and sites located in the southwestern United States. It was the cultural center of the Casas Grandes region. Pottery, beadwork, shells, and copper items were traded with Casas Grandes in Arizona, the Gila Cliff Dwellings and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, and Mesa Verde in Colorado. In the 8th century, the initial inhabitants of Paquimé settled in a large valley with a good water supply. Over time, people concentrated within the Paquimé location and built increasingly larger adobe structures. Just what determined the final location of Paquimé is unclear. Trade is known to have been important. Craft work was developed using copper ornaments, ceramics, and sea shells. Turkeys and scarlet macaws from more southern locations were raised in adobe cages still visible today. The population in the Paquimé area is estimated to have been in the thousands. Then prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the end of Paquimé came quickly for reasons still being debated. A precise date is not available but archeologists believe Paquimé was fully abandoned by 1450 if not earlier. Early oral accounts heard by Spanish explorers describe the site being destroyed by indigenous Opatas from the west. Evidence from excavations also suggests a quick and violent end.
Today a portion of the ruins have been restored and walking paths guide you through the site. In addition, a large part of Paquimé lies on adjacent private land and remains unexcavated. A guide can be of help in interpreting the history of the site. An adjacent museum describes the early culture through interpretive exhibits. The museum was constructed in 1992-1993 and opened to the public in 1995. It is partly sunken into the ground, thus designed to blend into the landscape and is surprisingly unobtrusive. Inside are numerous early Casas Grandes pots, beadwork necklaces, trade items, and a large model of the entire site. The museum gift shop is also a good place to see a variety of contemporary pottery from the village of Mata Ortiz to the south. Compare some of the contemporary pots with those from the site on display. Mata Ortiz potters began by replicating the original Casas Grandes designs decades ago. Today many of the artists have evolved their own styles and are highly regarded by collectors. Museum hours are 1000-1700 hours Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays. Admission is $49 pesos - handheld photography only inside &
Today a portion of the ruins have been restored and walking paths guide you through the site. In addition, a large part of Paquimé lies on adjacent private land and remains unexcavated. A guide can be of help in interpreting the history of the site. An adjacent museum describes the early culture through interpretive exhibits. The museum was constructed in 1992-
outside. Before visiting Paquimé, you can learn much about the site by reading Amanda Morgan’s comprehensive guide. Download it for free here.
A lesser-known and very curious item emerged from Paquimé early on. In 1867, the director of the Chihuahua mint announced a finding from within the ruins. A Mexican group was exploring the site and in one tomb, a number of wrapped and mummified human remains were found. Beside them was another object wrapped in the same kind of cloth. In what is known today as Unit-11, a member of the group, Teodoro Alverado, discovered a 1545 kilogram iron meteorite which had been deliberately located, carefully wrapped in a cloth, and entombed. Given the weight of the meteorite, it was likely found where it fell. Unit-11 is the oldest part of Paquimé and the site is believed to have been built outward from here. The meteorite was later removed, transferred to the U.S., and today is displayed in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals in the National Museum of Natural History, a branch of the Smithsonian, in Washington, D.C. Locally, for reasons unknown, it is rarely mentioned and the museum makes no mention of its existence. What we know is found here and we would like to know more of its history.
In 1998, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, And Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Paquimé to be a World Heritage site. The document nominating Paquimé to the WHC noted:
A lesser-
In 1998, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, And Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Paquimé to be a World Heritage site. The document nominating Paquimé to the WHC noted:
Paquimé Casas Grandes, which reached its apogee in the 14th and 15th centuries, played a key role in trade and cultural contacts between the Pueblo culture of the south-western USA and northern Mexico and the more advanced civilizations of Mesoamerica. Its extensive remains, only part of which have been excavated, bear eloquent testimony to the vitality of this culture, well adapted to its physical and economic environment, which would disappear abruptly at the time of the Spanish Conquest.
To get to Paquimé, as you approach Casas Grandes heading south from Nuevo, from the first stop sign on Independencia, proceed straight for three blocks where you turn left on Allende. Continue straight through town into the site - or just follow the blue signs.
