Frances Canyon Ruin, Archaeological site in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States.
Frances Canyon Ruin is a Navajo pueblito near Blanco in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, built around 1716. Its masonry rooms and foundations stand on elevated ground above the canyon, and the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties.
The site was built around 1716 and served as a pueblito structure during conflicts with Ute and Comanche groups. This fortification arose during a time of great tensions in the region.
The name pueblito comes from Spanish for "little pueblo". The site reflects Navajo adoption of Pueblo lifeways after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680–1692, when the Spanish introduced sheep, fruit, cattle and horses, leading to larger settlements and new trade relations.
The site is reachable via NM Highway 527 north from US 64 to mile marker 11. A short walking trail leads to the remains and provides easy access to the area.
The pueblito was raised around 1716, after Spanish livestock and fruit trees reached Navajo country; its larger settlement size and trade links set it apart from today's scattered hogan clusters served by trading posts and motor vehicles.
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