What is the connection between Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and Bandelier?
All were sites occupied by people of the Ancestral Pueblo culture, but during different time periods. Mesa Verde: A.D.500-1300 Chaco: A.D. 500-1300 Bandelier- A. D. 1100-1550 Each area reached its residential apex at different times, with Chaco and Mesa Verde prior to Bandelier. During these centuries there was trade and exchange of ideas and migration occurred between these areas. For example, Mesa Verde inhabitants may have briefly reoccupied Chaco sites. Generally speaking there was an overall movement toward areas with more water including the Rio Grande. Some Pueblo migration stories recount how their ancestors moved from place to place, including these well known areas, over time.
