The ties to Native Americans that link New Mexico to centuries in the past are well-known.
Chaco Canyon, near Farmington, of course. The Gila Cliff Dwellings near Silver City. The Salinas Pueblo Missions ruins of Gran Quivira, Quarai and Abó near Mountainair. The plethora of petroglyphs spread from one side of the state to the other.
Cruising through the desert backcountry provides ample opportunity for exploration and discovery.
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Such is the case of the oft-overlooked, but subtlety exquisite Casamero Pueblo, about 20 miles west of Grants.
“Initially, when you walk up on it, the highest wall is mid-chest high,” said Sean Daugherty, Bureau of Land Management archeologist. “But that doesn’t really tell the whole story about it. What is striking is when you look closely at it and start studying it.”