CHIMNEY ROCK
-- PREHISTORIC CHRONOLOGY --
Following is a prehistoric chronology of significant Chimney Rock Archaeological Area and related dates:
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950 |
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Ridge House Phase 1 |
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July 1054 |
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Crab Nebula Supernova blazed in the daytime skies for three weeks and remained visible in the night skies for nearly two years. |
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December 1057 |
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Archaeoastronomers speculate that residents of Chimney Rock discovered the full moon rising between the chimneys at winter solstice. |
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1064 |
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Sunset Crater eruption |
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1066 |
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Halley's Comet appeared and covered 1/4 of night sky. |
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1073 |
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As seen from the area of the future Chimney Rock Pueblo, the first appearance of the moon between the chimneys during the standstill. It is estimated that the moon appeared between the chimneys on more than forty occasions through the fall of 1077. |
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1076 |
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Great House Phase I |
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1076 |
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Major Lunar Standstill |
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March 7, 1076 |
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A total solar eclipse was visible south of Chaco Canyon. |
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December 13, 1076 |
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Winter solstice; full moon rise between the chimneys. |
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1077 |
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Pithouse construction |
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1077 |
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Sunspots large enough to be seen with naked eye were reported in China, beginning two hundred year period of unusual sunspot activity. |
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1078 |
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Ridge House Phase 2 |
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1084 |
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Great Kiva construction |
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1093 |
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Great House Phase 2 |
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1094 |
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Major Lunar Standstill |
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December 1095 |
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Winter Solstice moon rise between the chimneys |
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July 11, 1097 |
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Another total solar eclipse passed directly over Chimney Rock |
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1111 |
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Major Lunar Standstill |
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1125 |
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People left Chimney Rock |
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1150 |
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Chaco decline begins |
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1276 |
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23 year drought begins, Mesa Verde people leaving |
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1300 |
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Four Corners area empty |
Following are stages of cultural development in the Piedra River Valley*:
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ca. 10,000 BC - 1 AD Paleo-indian and Archaic Periods
Navajo Reservoir:
1 - 400 AD Los Pinos Phase (Basketmaker II)
400 - 700 AD Sambrito Phase (Basketmaker III)
Piedra (North to CRAA):
700 - 850 AD Rosa Phase (Early Pueblo I)
Chimney Rock Archaeological Area:
850 - 950 AD Piedra Phase (Late Pueblo I)
950 - 1050 AD Arboles Phase (early Pueblo II)
1050 - 1125 AD Chimney Rock Phase (Pueblo II)
*Adapted from Florence Lister's In the Shadow of the Rocks
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Hours of Operation: In-Season May 15 - September 30, Daily 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Guided Walking Tour Schedule: 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.
Location: 3 miles South of Hwy 160 on Hwy 151 (map)
Mailing Address: Chimney Rock Interpretive Program, P.O. Box 1662, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Phone: (970)883-5359 Visitor's Cabin In-season, (970)264-2287 Leave Message Off-season
E-mail: chimneyrock@chimneyrockco.org
Download Chimney Rock Brochure
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