Hungo Pavi (Chaco Canyon)
Hungo Pavi · Hungo Pavi, Tseh Yoh
Pueblo II-III; Chacoan·Chacoan Ancestral Pueblo → McElmo·🇺🇸 New Mexico, Chaco Canyon, South Mesa side, United States
About
About Hungo Pavi (Chaco Canyon)
Mid-sized Chacoan great house (72 ground rooms, c.1100 CE) across from Una Vida on canyon’s south side, excavated Richard Wetherill–Pepper Hyde Expedition (1896–1900). Two-storey Chaco–McElmo masonry with enclosed plaza, circular tower kiva and road segment to south road. Documents early Bonito phase then McElmo reoccupation. Mesa-top shrine alignment and south gap visual link to South Road.
Why it mattersDocuments south-side Chaco settlement symmetry with north great houses; daylight shrine road link.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why south-side small great houses vs north D-shape asymmetry
- 02Tower kiva as solar shrine vs defensive outlook
Theories
- 01Lekson south road as pilgrimage vs logistics
- 02McElmo influx over south houses first
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.1000 CE early Bonito phase; great house expansion 1020–1100 CE; McElmo reuse c.1140 CE
- Period
- Pueblo II-III; Chacoan
- Culture
- Chacoan Ancestral Pueblo → McElmo
- Builders
- Chaco and McElmo masons
- Purpose
- Plaza great house opposite Una Vida controlling south road
- Abandoned
- c.1180 CE abandonment with canyon
- Rediscovered
- Tested 1896 Hyde; 1930s Vivian stabilization
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
1896
Hyde Expedition opens 72 rooms with plaza
1020 CE
Great house formalized with tower kiva
On the ground
Structures & features
36.0520° N · 107.9320° W · 1895 m · 2 mapped features
Great house block
great house72-room Chaco-McElmo house
36.0523° N · 107.9325° WTower kiva
kivaCircular tower kiva at plaza
36.0520° N · 107.9320° W
Gallery