Fajada Butte, Sandstone butte in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, United States
Fajada Butte is a sandstone formation rising approximately 135 meters within a national park in New Mexico. The rock face includes ancient dwellings and a ceremonial ramp structure stretching about 230 meters along its southwestern side.
The butte was inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloans around 1000 years ago. The people who lived here eventually abandoned the region, leaving behind structures that reveal their sophisticated understanding of timekeeping.
This butte served as an astronomical observatory for the people who lived in the region centuries ago. Sunlight patterns on the rock face helped them track the seasons and plan their ceremonies.
This site is closed to public access to protect the archaeological features and prevent damage to the rock. You can observe the formation from designated viewing areas near the park's facilities.
This formation gained widespread scientific attention when researchers in the 1970s discovered how precisely the petroglyphs aligned with astronomical events. The sun's path creates measurable light and shadow patterns that ancient inhabitants used to track important dates without modern instruments.
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