Site 1572

      From behind Pueblo Bonito on the floor of Chaco Canyon, there is a trail through a crack in the canyon wall that leads to the north rim where a stone circle can be found. Named Site 1572, this kidney-shaped feature lies directly on the bedrock of Chaco Canyon’s northern rim, 5 m from the cliff edge. It is demarcated by compound masonry and the presence of upright slabs, measuring 17 m by 12 m (Windes 1978:91-93). Standing inside the stone circle’s boundaries affords the visitor with excellent views of the surrounding landscape. Site 1572 is located on a visual alignment that includes the South Gap, Pueblo Del Arroyo, and Hosta Butte, a path shared by the 51 km long South Road. The stone circle provides line-of-sight visibility along the road’s entire length.

      Because of its location on Chaco Canyon’s northern rim, Site 1572 features many line-of-sight connections with both landmarks of the area and Bonito-style structures. First, because of its alignment with the South Road, this shrine allows an individual to view what Puebloan peoples may understand as their path into the next world, represented by the elevated landscape features of the Dutton Plateau and Hosta Butte. It also reinforces the cardinality of the road, showing how the circle itself is aligned with the South Gap, Pueblo del Arroyo and Hosta Butte. Second, its location is strategic with respect to visitors from the North Road. If outsiders traveled using this approach, they would arrive at Pueblo Alto or New Alto before reaching the canyon’s edge. Since these great houses are visible from Site 1572, the potential for communicating a message to the canyon great houses in view, namely Pueblo Bonito just beyond the rim, is enormous. Third, because of Hayes and Windes’ (1975) proposed intra-canyon network, Site 1572 would be incorporated, thus adding Pueblo Alto and New Alto into this network.