Lowry Pueblo

lowry-pueblo

Crossroads for Two Cultures

Named for homesteader George Lowry, this site is typical of the medium-sized pueblos that once dotted the Montezuma Valley. Lowry Pueblo had a total of about 40 rooms and 8 kivas at its peak in the early 11th century and was home to approximately 100 people. The pueblo was arranged in a roughly rectangular block, with some portions reaching as high as three stories. A great kiva, constructed outside the eastern limits of the village, is nearly 50 feet in diameter.

Unlike most sites, two different cultural traditions are evident at Lowry. Portions of the pueblo are similar to early styles of Chacoan architecture, with later additions more characteristic of styles found at Mesa Verde. Lowry is among the northernmost Chaco-style communities, which may have formed an interdependent network spreading from Chaco Canyon, about 100 miles south in New Mexico. Later additions are more characteristic of those styles found at Mesa Verde.

Lowry was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967 and in 2000 became part of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum also offers exhibits on Lowry and an interactive computer program “People in the Past” that provides interpretation of prehistoric pueblo life from both scientific and Native American perspectives.

Before You Go

  • Guidebooks available at the site or at the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum
  • Bring your own water
  • Suggested visitation time with driving is 3 hours
MAIN ATTRACTIONS

The Great Kiva
Great House

AMENITIES & SERVICES

Picnic tables
Restrooms
Handicapped accessible

Getting There

Lowry Pueblo is located 28 miles northwest of Cortez, off Highway 491 at Pleasant View on County Road CC.

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