New Mexico's Ancestral Pueblo People & Fort Union

New Mexico's Ancestral Pueblo People & Fort UnionTravel along ancient footpaths and ruins through the homes and communities of Ancestral Pueblo People in New Mexico, dating back over a thousand years! Chaco Culture National Historical Park: A special canyon that was central to thousands of people between 850 and 1250 A. D. In modern times, it is possible to experience the organizational and engineering marvels not seen anywhere else in the American Southwest. Aztec Ruins National Monument: Viewed as

Travel along ancient footpaths and ruins through the homes and communities of Ancestral Pueblo People in New Mexico, dating back over a thousand years!

• Chaco Culture National Historical Park: A special canyon that was central to thousands of people between 850 and 1250 A.D. In modern times, it is possible to experience the organizational and engineering marvels not seen anywhere else in the American Southwest.

• Aztec Ruins National Monument: Viewed as part of the Pueblo people’s migration journey, today you can explore a 900-year old ancestral Pueblo Great House with over 400 masonry rooms and see original timbers holding up roofs. Experience the 3rd largest Great Kiva in the world.

• Bandelier National Monument: Explore over 33,000 acres of protected canyon and mesa country as well as indications of a human presence here going back over 11,000 years.  Petroglyphs, rock cliff dwellings and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives.

• El Morro National Monument: This Grand Mesa, considered sacred ground, is home to thousands of signatures, dates, messages, petroglyphs and interconnected structures near a spring fed water source. Thirst quenched for hundreds of years by Ancestral Puebloans, Spanish and American travelers.

• El Malpais National Monument: In the land of fire and ice, volcanic landscape offers cinder cones, lava tube caves, sandstone bluffs, wildlife and hiking trails.     • Pecos National Historical Park: Enjoy Indian pueblos that provided cultural exchange and geographic features that played crucial roles in the rich trading history of the Pecos Valley.

• Capulin Volcano National Monument: For 60,000 years, Capulin Volcano has been the Sentinel of the Plains.  Although primarily known for its volcanic geology, the park has a rich diversity of plant and animal life to explore.

• More recently, Fort Union National Monument was established on the Santa Fe Trail as a garrison and supply depot where thousands of military personnel and civilians carved out a thriving community at the cross roads of the Southwest.

• 57 minutes

• Available on DVD and Download

Discoveries America National Parks, New Mexico Ancestral Pueblo People & Fort Union Preview from Bennett-Watt HD Productions on Vimeo.

NP35 REVIEW: The Midwest Book Review, The Library DVD Shelf 

Part of the Discoveries... America National Parks series of high-definition video essay documentaries about the stunning, scenic, and historic American locations that the National Park Service exists to protect, New Mexico Ancestral Pueblo People & Fort Union is a DVD showcasing ancient ruins and communities once inhabited by Ancestral Pueblo People in New Mexico, among a wealth of other notable locations: ... The wondrous scenery of New Mexico captivates the imagination, in this beautiful and educational treasure, highly recommended especially for public library collections and armchair travelers. 57 min. 

NP 35 REVIEW: Booklist 

New Mexico is spotlighted in this new "Discoveries National Parks" series title. Warm voice-over narration backed with orchestral music and ambient nature sounds accompany viewers to seven historic sites, beginning with Chaco Culture National Historical Park, featuring the ruins of a culture that abandoned the canyon in the thirteenth century.

... Maps, vintage photographs, diagrams, and other stills accentuate captivating live action shots of scenic New Mexico for both potential and armchair visitors. 

— Sue-Ellen Beauregard 

NP 35 REVIEW: Video Librarian 

This latest entry in Jim and Kelly Watt’s acclaimed high-def series on America’s national parks focuses on the remains of ancient structures once inhabited by ancestral Puebloan peoples—habitats and other spaces that served many generations over centuries.

Another fine armchair travelogue that will appeal to vacationers and history buffs, this is  highly recommended. 

Aud: P. (T. Keogh)