Existing comment:
A Gathering Place
Between 1100 and 1200, more people lived in this area than ever before, or since. Located along routes linking large populations to the northeast and south, villages here were well situated for trade. As people, goods, and ideas converged on the area, a complex society of several thousand evolved. This particular village became the heart of a thriving community and was a landmark, a gathering place, and a ceremonial center.
It is remarkable that this land, so dry and hot, supported a large farming community. Moisture conserving cinders from the eruption of nearby Sunset Crater Volcano made for slightly better farming conditions during the 1100s. But extensive land and labor would have been required. This monumental structure may have signaled control over farm lands and united a community that undoubtedly changed as it grew and accepted immigrants. |