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Acoma Pueblo New Mexico

PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:14 pm
by asirimarco
Today was a beautiful day so we went to visit the Acoma Pueblo. Altitude 7000' walked slowly. Took guide tour of site. Very interesting but somewhat disappointing. I thought it would be more like Taos - but this has had buildings added to up to now. Cars and pickups parked all over. No electricity or running water. All water is brought up from valley floor 320 feet down. Wood stoves for heat and cooking. Outhouses for necessary - in fact quite a lot of outhouses. Big outdoor bread ovens. And lots of pottery for sale. Any way that said, learned a lot.
The 2000 year old "Sky City" has the distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited community in No America. When the Spanish came they Made the Acoma learn Spanish in this school room.
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The San Estevan del Rey Mission was completed in 1640 on top of a destroyed Kiva - walls are from 5 to 10 feet thick
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The Acoma National Forest - the only tree on the mesa - a cottonwood standing right next to a sistern
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The old and the new - older buildings and a residents car
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A grinding stone
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One of the remaining Kivas - built square to confuse the Spanish
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just an interesting entrance - note trim design
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One of the ovens
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The homes were built of gold/yellow straw and mud and when the sun shone on them they glowed gold - thus the cities of gold the Spanish were looking for
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Some of the pottery
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The desert below the mesa
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Hope you enjoy the pictures

Re: Acoma Pueblo New Mexico

PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:54 pm
by rvgrammy1953
Wow....great photos!!! Thanks!!

Re: Acoma Pueblo New Mexico

PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:19 pm
by Cedar518
Even if disappointing, it's interesting. you always take us on such great little tours!

Re: Acoma Pueblo New Mexico

PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:48 pm
by Carolinagal
I have really enjoyed all of your pictures, what a nice trip you all have had, I have enjoyed it very much. Thanks for posting and please don't stop.

Take care,
Carol

Re: Acoma Pueblo New Mexico

PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:13 pm
by Liz
Interesting place and beautiful pictures. Loved the pottery...is there a significance to the owls? And the Acoma Nat. Forest! Couldn't see the forest for the tree. :lol:

Re: Acoma Pueblo New Mexico

PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:59 pm
by Bethers
Very, very interesting. Do you think it was disappointing because you were led to believe more of it?

I love the pictures -

Re: Acoma Pueblo New Mexico

PostPosted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:43 am
by asirimarco
lots of the buildings were newer and/or had been added to recently. cars parked all over, something for sale around every corner. kind of made it seem like a movie set we had blundered into. very glad we went and would recommend it - but if you get the chance go to Taos instead. The ruins around Cottonwood were more interesting -

Re: Acoma Pueblo New Mexico

PostPosted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:51 am
by retiredhappy
The best time to see Acoma is when they're having a festival and dancing that's open to the public. Didn't you love the history about the women being the "leaders" in Acoma society? They decide who will marry who and the property inherits thru the women. When I was there, we had a bunch of Texas men in the group who were having a problem with this idea. Funny!