11 Most Endangered
Manuelito Archaeological Complex
Year Listed: 1994
Location: New Mexico
Current Status: Endangered
Threat: Deterioration, Natural Forces
In the vicinity of Gallup, NM, the Manuelito complex of underground remains and above-ground ruins has seen successive occupation by not only the Anasazi, but by the Zuni and Navajo peoples from A.D. 700 to modern times. Anasazi, a Navajo word meaning "ancient ones," are the ancestors of the present-day Pueblo people; no one knows exactly why their civilization collapsed in the 14th century. But by the 1990s, erosion had already damaged or destroyed many of the Manuelito sites, and others were threatened. A single flash flood could have demolished the Big House, the most prominent structural feature remaining. Patrols by Navajo rangers and the presence of the nearby Navajo community saved the complex from looting but effective protection from the elements was hampered by a lack of resources and a confusing patchwork from the federal, state, tribal and private ownership.
Update
Manuelito Archaeological Complex still faces serious erosion problems which continue to keep it threatened. New Mexico State Parks received a grant through the National Park Service to do a report on baseline planning for erosion control. Also, the NM State Parks have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Navajo Nation to cooperate on a variety of projects. Due to the extensiveness of the erosion and the complexity of the cultural resource, it is estimated that a successful erosion control project could cost up to $2 million dollars.
