Among those sites identified as Chacoan outliers, the Chimney Rock
Pueblo is distinguished by being the most isolated, the highest, and the most
remote from arable land. With two exceptions, building at all of the outliers
was begun between A.D. 1086 and the first half of A.D. 1120. Chimney Rock Pueblo
is one of those exceptions, as construction began in A.D. 1076. — from
Prehistoric Astronomy in the Southwest, by J. McKim
Malville and Claudia Putnam [mjh: notice that's 10 years
before others; anyone know what the other exception is?]
Chimney
Rock is located in southwestern Colorado. It is one of the northernmost
Chacoan outliers (Lowry Ruin is farther north and
west). It's clear that the main reason for building in this area are two natural
stone pillars, Chimney Rock and Companion Rock. Looking from various vantage
points from the west to the east, both the sun and moon rise between these two
pillars in a very predictable manner (predictable to shrewd observers like the
Anasazi). This picture (from a US Forest Service postcard) shows the great house
in the lower right, Chimney Rock in the upper left, and the mountains near Pagosa
Springs in the background).
Construction of the great house as well as villages on nearby ridges clearly
was planned to highlight (and anticipate) major solar and lunar events, including
equinoxes, solstices and so-called "lunar standstills" (part of an
18.6 year lunar cycle).
Below is Companion Rock and Chimney Rock and the gap between them through which
many astronomical observations would have been made. This is the view just beyond
the upper Great House (from the fire watchtower). Put your mouse over the image
for a close-up.
Chimney
Rock is located in southwestern Colorado. It is one of the northernmost
Chacoan outliers (Lowry Ruin is farther north and
west). It's clear that the main reason for building in this area are two natural
stone pillars, Chimney Rock and Companion Rock. Looking from various vantage
points from the west to the east, both the sun and moon rise between these two
pillars in a very predictable manner (predictable to shrewd observers like the
Anasazi). This picture (from a US Forest Service postcard) shows the great house
in the lower right, Chimney Rock in the upper left, and the mountains near Pagosa
Springs in the background)..jpg)
