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Welcome to Bandelier National Monument!

Park History

Bandelier National Monument has a rich human history spanning over 11,000 years, with evidence of nomadic hunter-gatherers and later, the Ancestral Pueblo people. The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Pueblo people, lived in the area from around 1150 AD to the 1500s, building homes and settlements in the cliffs and mesas. The monument was established in 1916 and named after anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, who studied the region's indigenous cultures.

Key historical aspects of Bandelier National Monument:

Early Inhabitants:
Scattered artifacts suggest human presence as far back as 9500 BCE.

Ancestral Pueblo Culture:
The most significant period of settlement occurred between 1200 CE and the 1500s. The Ancestral Pueblo people, also known as the Pueblo people, built homes and settlements within the cliffs and mesas of the area.

Cliff Dwellings:
The Ancestral Puebloans carved dwellings into the soft volcanic tuff cliffs and used ladders to access them.

Volcanic Activity:
Large volcanic eruptions played a role in shaping the landscape, with ash hardening into the tuff that the Ancestral Puebloans utilized for their dwellings.

Abandonment:
The Ancestral Pueblo people ultimately left the area in the 1500s, moving to pueblos along the Rio Grande due to a combination of factors, including overpopulation, drought, and resource depletion.

Adolph Bandelier's Research:
Anthropologist Adolph Bandelier studied the region's indigenous cultures in the late 1800s, living and working with various American Indian communities.

Monument Designation:
Bandelier National Monument was established in 1916 to preserve the cultural and natural resources of the area.

Civilian Conservation Corps:
From 1934 to 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps contributed to the development of the monument, building roads, trails, and the visitor center.

Today:
Bandelier National Monument protects the ancestral and traditional lands of at least 23 tribal nations. -- Source Google



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