Pueblo Pintado (Red House)
Kin Náhuzh? (Navajo) · Pueblo Pintado · Pintado · Red Painted Town
Chaco Bonito to Post-Chaco (Late Pueblo II–III)·Chaco (ancestral Pueblo) → post-Chaco San Juan·🇺🇸 New Mexico, McKinley County – Chaco Southeast outlier on Pintado Mesa, United States
About
About Pueblo Pintado (Red House)
Southeasternmost Chaco great house outlier (c.1050–1120 CE, Bonito II–III) on Pintado Mesa overlooking Rio Chaco headwater — eastern gate of Chaco world. 120 ground-floor rooms 300 estimated total, 2-storey, enclosed plaza and great kiva 18 m, built in 3 phases (022 vs 1050 vigas). Thomas Windes/ Peter McKenna 1970s– Chaco Project excavations documented enclosed great-house pattern (wall around) and San Juan reoccupation. Managed by Navajo/ BLM; community of Pueblo Pintado (Navajo) lives at foot.
Why it mattersSoutheast great-house gate — farthest regularly built Chaco outlier; red wash Pintado eponym; enclosed plaza type.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why enclose plaza wall — defence or ceremonial?
- 02Pintado vs Kin Bineola road — southeast vs southwest axes ritual duality
Theories
- 01Pueblo Pintado as Chaco initiation gate — southeast pilgrimage entry
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.1050 CE initial core; major expansion 1072–1088 CE
- Period
- Chaco Bonito to Post-Chaco (Late Pueblo II–III)
- Culture
- Chaco (ancestral Pueblo) → post-Chaco San Juan
- Builders
- Chaco masons (painted red wash gives Pintado name)
- Purpose
- Southeast road gate and Chaco tribute/ redistribution centre
- Abandoned
- c.1120 Chacoan peak retreat, 1200 final small sites
- Rediscovered
- 1849 Lt Simpson notes; 1891 Shaler survey; 1970s Chaco Center Windes
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
1849
Simpson Washington Expedition sketches Pintado
c.1080
Enclosing wall and great kiva built
1972
Windes Chaco Outlier survey stabilization
On the ground
Structures & features
35.9700° N · 107.6200° W · 1980 m · 3 mapped features
Pueblo Pintado great house
great house120-room enclosed great house with red plaster
35.9701° N · 107.6201° WGreat kiva (east outside wall)
great kiva18 m great kiva east of enclosure
35.9699° N · 107.6199° WEnclosing wall (southeast corner)
wall1.2 m Chaco veneer enclosing wall
35.9700° N · 107.6200° W
Gallery