Dan Flores

By then, many local resources were likely depleted, and the town was abandoned in the early 1500s. The immediate catalyst to that exodus may have been something dramatic, for in 1581, a Spanish party found the town half destroyed.

By then, many local resources were likely depleted, and the town was abandoned in the early 1500s. The immediate catalyst to that exodus may have been something dramatic, for in 1581, a Spanish party found the town half destroyed.

Fenn's most remarkable San Lazaro discovery, for which he had the good sense to call in professional archaeologists and native descendants, came in 1992 when he unearthed two plastered kachina masks and other stored sacred objects. The magnificent mask appeared to represent black bears and were likely associated with a bear clan or medicine society.

Fenn's most remarkable San Lazaro discovery, for which he had the good sense to call in professional archaeologists and native descendants, came in 1992 when he unearthed two plastered kachina masks and other stored sacred objects. The magnificent mask appeared to represent black bears and were likely associated with a bear clan or medicine society.

Fenn's most remarkable San Lazaro discovery, for which he had the good sense to call in professional archaeologists and native descendants, came in 1992 when he unearthed two plastered kachina masks and other stored sacred objects. The magnificent mask appeared to represent black bears and were likely associated with a bear clan or medicine society.

Various dating techniques placed the masks a few years on either side of 1500. Kachina mask would be one of the most unlikely objects any Puebloan would ever abandon. Whatever happened at San Lazaro around 1500 must have come on remarkably suddenly.

Various dating techniques placed the masks a few years on either side of 1500. Kachina mask would be one of the most unlikely objects any Puebloan would ever abandon. Whatever happened at San Lazaro around 1500 must have come on remarkably suddenly.

Various dating techniques placed the masks a few years on either side of 1500. Kachina mask would be one of the most unlikely objects any Puebloan would ever abandon. Whatever happened at San Lazaro around 1500 must have come on remarkably suddenly.

When European colonizers arrived in the early 1600s and introduced fulsome new sources of protein, 4,000 sheep and 1,000 goats arrived with those first Spanish settlers. Pueblo people fully reoccupied San Lazaro.

When European colonizers arrived in the early 1600s and introduced fulsome new sources of protein, 4,000 sheep and 1,000 goats arrived with those first Spanish settlers. Pueblo people fully reoccupied San Lazaro.

When European colonizers arrived in the early 1600s and introduced fulsome new sources of protein, 4,000 sheep and 1,000 goats arrived with those first Spanish settlers. Pueblo people fully reoccupied San Lazaro.

Before long, though, swelling resentment over having to provide crops and labor and its Spanish suppression of the Kachina religion led San Lazaro's warriors to become leaders in the Great Pueblo Revolt of 1680, which drove the Europeans out of New Mexico for a dozen years.

Before long, though, swelling resentment over having to provide crops and labor and its Spanish suppression of the Kachina religion led San Lazaro's warriors to become leaders in the Great Pueblo Revolt of 1680, which drove the Europeans out of New Mexico for a dozen years.

Before long, though, swelling resentment over having to provide crops and labor and its Spanish suppression of the Kachina religion led San Lazaro's warriors to become leaders in the Great Pueblo Revolt of 1680, which drove the Europeans out of New Mexico for a dozen years.

But the Pueblo's citizens were alarmed enough at the possible consequences of this that everyone ended up fleeing San Lazaro, leaving a 400-year-old city to dissolve into silence in Adobe. There were at least seven other similar long-lived towns in the Galiseo country, harboring at various times several thousand more of these former Chacoans.

But the Pueblo's citizens were alarmed enough at the possible consequences of this that everyone ended up fleeing San Lazaro, leaving a 400-year-old city to dissolve into silence in Adobe. There were at least seven other similar long-lived towns in the Galiseo country, harboring at various times several thousand more of these former Chacoans.

But the Pueblo's citizens were alarmed enough at the possible consequences of this that everyone ended up fleeing San Lazaro, leaving a 400-year-old city to dissolve into silence in Adobe. There were at least seven other similar long-lived towns in the Galiseo country, harboring at various times several thousand more of these former Chacoans.

Several were farther east and close to the high plains, where they had to survive Apache raids after those Athabascan speakers migrated in from the far north.

Several were farther east and close to the high plains, where they had to survive Apache raids after those Athabascan speakers migrated in from the far north.

Several were farther east and close to the high plains, where they had to survive Apache raids after those Athabascan speakers migrated in from the far north.