Lost Civilization -- North America: Mound Builders and Cliff Dwellers

Author: Edited by [US] Brown, Translated by Zhang Lixin and others
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: The designers of Pueblo Bonito demonstrated remarkable understanding of utilizing solar heat and cooling techniques. The thick stone walls—with only a few small windows and doors—help regulate the unstable temperatures of Chaco, ensuring the houses remained comfortable even during the scorching summer heat. This multi-story composite building faces south with its back to the north, gradually lowering from the back to the front, forming platform roofs that allow each level of the structure to maximize sunlight exposure in winter. Although Pueblo Bonito is now a ruin and suffered severe damage to its back wall in a mudslide during the 20th century, it remains the jewel of the Chaco Crown.