… Acoma Pueblo, 370 feet above the desert floor, high on top of a mesa. The mesa has been home for almost 2000 years, dating back to 1100 AD. When Coronado’s army approached the mesa in 1540, he was impressed by the pueblo’s strong defensive position, and reportedly said, “The ascent was so difficult that we repented climbing to the top.” The mesa sits on a plain surrounded by awesome rock formations.
We stopped at the beautiful new Sky City Cultural Center to get tickets, which included a pueblo tour, camera permit, and museum admission. After a quick lunch at the restaurant, we hopped on a shuttle bus for the ride to the top of the mesa.
The Acoma Pueblo produces beautiful, thin-walled pottery, painted with intricate patterns and lines; many potters sell their wares on the street. They were so eager to discuss their work that it was hard not to buy something from each of them!
Very few people live full-time in Sky City because it has no electricity or running water; each house has a porta-potty. Ancestral houses are owned by families, who gather in Sky City for holidays and feast days. The pueblo celebrated a Fiesta the day before we visited, so many people were still there.
Some of the interesting sights were a mica window in one house; ladders everywhere; beehive-shaped outdoor ovens called hornos, used to bake bread and meat; and a large double ladder leading up the the kiva, the native place of worship. In the distance is the beautiful Enchanted Mesa, where the Acoma inhabitants believe their ancestors lived first.
Houses originally had no doors; access required climbing a ladder to the roof, then entering through a hole in the roof. The view from the top of the mesa was impressive. At the end of the tour, our guide said we could walk down from the top of the mesa to the bottom, a very steep descent; we passed. Here are the steps leading down. My fear of heights wouldn’t let me get any closer!
Back in the Cultural Center we visited the excellent museum, and watched a film about the history of the Pueblo.
We drove back to Santa Fe for dinner at The Shed, checking out some of the nearby stores while we waited for a table. I’m beginning to think there is an infinite number of jewelry shops in Santa Fe! We had a delicious New Mexican meal to end the day.
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