“The Great House” is the residence of the Anasazi tribe, a Native American group in North America. In the 15th century, this mysterious tribe gradually disappeared in an inexplicable manner, yet the stone culture and architecture they left behind were remarkably advanced, astonishing later generations.
The remains of Anasazi culture have been discovered in regions of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. However, the most significant findings are located in the 24 km long, 1,600 m wide Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico. By 1050, the inhabitants of this canyon exhibited extraordinary creative abilities. Over several decades of development, they established 12 beautiful and distinctive small towns. This area gradually became the religious, political, and commercial center of the Anasazi, later referred to by archaeologists as the “Chaco Phenomenon”. When including the surrounding population, the number of people here exceeded 5,000. For a tribe in a Stone Age society living in such a desolate place, this figure is remarkably large. Moreover, the multi-story architecture they inhabited, known as the “Great House”, showcased an extremely high level of technical skill, comparable only to high-rise buildings that appeared hundreds of years later in major urban centers.
However, it is curious why this tribe chose to live in this narrow piece of land instead of a more spacious area?
Each “Great House” was constructed using dozens of large stones and over 20,000 wooden beams made from spruce or fir. At that time, there were no pack animals or wheeled transport, so all these materials had to be transported manually over a distance of 5.6 km. These structures exhibited an exceptionally unique stone masonry technology. Each stone was meticulously carved to specific requirements, reinforced with a thin layer of mud, with smaller stones laid on top. The combination of these structures with the beautiful natural scenery created a stunningly perfect whole.
The most magnificent structure within the “Great House” is a five-story D-shaped building, which contains approximately 800 rooms and occupies 60 acres of land.
The “Great House” also features circular rooms that hold a special place in the lives of the Anasazi. Some researchers suggest that these rooms were used for conducting religious ceremonies or rituals; others speculate that they served as sleeping quarters for travelers and places where men gathered for leisure. Each room had a beehive-shaped roof made of wood. The roof was sealed with earth and rubble. The only entrance to the room was located on the roof, allowing men to enter via a ladder. There was also a ceremonial pit in the floor for spiritual entities to enter and exit. Fresh air was channeled into the house through a stone pipe. The largest room, known as the “Great Kiva,” had a diameter of 19 m and a depth of 4.5 m. The acoustics in the room were excellent; whispers from one corner could be heard in the opposite corner, and a simple sneeze would produce a sound akin to thunder.
Each family used one room in the “Great House,” which included cooking and living spaces, as well as storage rooms, chicken coops, trash storage, and even burial areas. The houses generally measured 3.5 m in length and 2.5 m in height, with walls made of gray mud plaster adorned with many paintings. To reduce heat loss in winter, the windows and doors were very small. Fires were lit inside for warmth, and since there were no chimneys, the roofs were covered in a thick layer of soot.
The ceramics found during the excavation of the “Great House” included many items shaped like animals and painted with striking black and white designs. The Anasazi created exquisitely crafted jewelry from turquoise, seashells, and they also wove beautiful baskets from grass. The Anasazi not only played drums and blew flutes made from bird bones but also painted abstract designs on their walls.
By 1150, a pivotal moment marking the zenith of prosperity and power for the Anasazi, the Chaco culture began to mysteriously decline. The residents of the canyon quickly abandoned their flourishing city.
In the 12th century, the Anasazi sealed all doors and windows facing outward from the outer rooms of the “Great House.” They blocked all primary entrances of the communal building with stones, leaving only one staircase for access. Some archaeologists believe this was a defensive measure against invaders; however, it is contradictory that no incomplete remains or evidence of conflict have been found among the ruins. Nevertheless, they permanently left the basin they had inhabited for centuries, departing in a quiet, mysterious manner. The Anasazi no longer exist in this world, but the mysteries surrounding the “Great House” continue to captivate humanity, prompting ongoing research, exploration, and discovery by modern scholars.