Simon Canyon Pueblito
Located on the east bench of Simon Canyon, this pueblito is the most northern of the pueblitos and the only one documented north of the San Juan River. The pueblito consists of a single room on a large 20-foot high boulder. The room is rather well preserved with the greater part of the roof intact. Handholds and footholds were carved into the sandstone high up on the side of the boulder and the inhabitants likely used a notched log as a ladder or rope to reach the structure. Simon Canyon Pueblito was unusual because other pueblitos could not be seen from the site and forked-pole hogans do not appear to have been located nearby (Powers and Johnson 1987).
Ceramic Assemblage: Currently only Dinetah Gray and Gobernador Polychrome ceramics have been documented.
Tree-Ring Analysis: Only seven samples have been collected from the pueblito. It appears that the roof was entirely constructed using juniper wood and metal ax cuts were noted on the ends and branches of the timber. Tree-ring dates indicate that the structure was likely constructed in 1754 (Towner 2003). The site was stabilized by the BLM in 1975 (BLM site plaque).
Land Owner: |
Bureau of Land Management |
Site Elevation: |
5895 ft / 1797 m |
Hiking Difficulty: |
Challenging =
Someone in good hiking condition;
Distance more than 1 mile;
Elevation gain 50 to 100 feet. |
References: |
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Powers, Margaret A. and Byron P. Johnson 1987
Defensive Sites of Dinetah. New Mexico Bureau of Land Management Cultural Resources Series No. 2, 1987. U.S. Dept of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Albuquerque District. |
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Towner, Ronald H. 2003
Defending the Dinetah: Pueblitos in the Ancestral Navajo Heartland. The University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Report Vandalism
Report any vandalism to the Bureau of Land Management hot line at (505) 564-7600.
For in progress incidents, request a BLM Ranger through Non-Emergency Dispatch (505) 334-6622.