page_title: Aztec Ruins National Monument
hierarchical_section_title: Aztec Ruins National Monument
caption_attribution_description: English: Aztec Ruins National Monument site map.
context_page_description: The Aztec Ruins National Monument in northwestern New Mexico, USA consists of preserved structures constructed by the Pueblo Indians nearly a thousand years ago. The national monument lies on the western bank of the Animas River in Aztec, New Mexico, about 12 miles northeast of Farmington. Additional Puebloan structures can be found in Salmon Ruins and Heritage Park, about 9.5 miles south. Archaeological evidence puts the construction of the ruins in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Puebloan-built ruins were dubbed the "Aztec Ruins" by 19th century American settlers who misattributed their construction to the Aztecs.
  The site was declared "Aztec Ruin National Monument" on January 24, 1923. "Ruin" was changed to "Ruins" after a boundary change, on July 2, 1928. As a historical property of the National Park Service, the monument was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
  listed the Chaco Culture as a World Heritage Site on December 8, 1987. That listing specifically included the Aztec Ruins.
context_section_description: The Aztec Ruins National Monument in northwestern New Mexico, USA consists of preserved structures constructed by the Pueblo Indians nearly a thousand years ago. The national monument lies on the western bank of the Animas River in Aztec, New Mexico, about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Farmington. Additional Puebloan structures can be found in Salmon Ruins and Heritage Park, about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south. Archaeological evidence puts the construction of the ruins in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Puebloan-built ruins were dubbed the "Aztec Ruins" by 19th century American settlers who misattributed their construction to the Aztecs.
  The site was declared "Aztec Ruin National Monument" on January 24, 1923. "Ruin" was changed to "Ruins" after a boundary change, on July 2, 1928. As a historical property of the National Park Service, the monument was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
  (UNESCO) listed the Chaco Culture as a World Heritage Site on December 8, 1987. That listing specifically included the Aztec Ruins.
  The monument is on the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway, one of New Mexico's Scenic Byways.
  The property was part of a 160-acre (65 ha) homestead owned by H.D. Abrams, who supported the ruins preservation. The H.D. Abrams House in Aztec is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
caption: NPS map
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