This is the official flickr page of Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Join us for new and breathtaking photos of the park, its wildlife, and its historic buildings and Ancestral Puebloan structures! Unless otherwise noted, all photos are in the public domain. All photos should be credited with the photographer's name (if noted) and "NPS Photo."

What is Bandelier National Monument?

Bandelier National Monument, a part of the National Park Service, preserves homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people and 23,267 acres of designated wilderness. Travel back in time, immerse yourself in nature, challenge yourself and learn about other cultures at Bandelier.

Who used to live here and where did they come from?

Most people agree that the Ancestral Pueblo culture emerged from hunter and gatherer societies that had been living in the Four Corners area for thousands of years. The introduction of domesticated maize from the Valley of Mexico allowed a more sedentary lifestyle and the beginnings of more permanent architecture. At Bandelier archaeological evidence indicates hunter-gatherer occupation dating back into the Paleo-Indian period. A Clovis point found at Bandelier is the oldest artifact. The major Ancestral Pueblo People reoccupation of the area dates from A.D. 1150 to 1550, perhaps partly as a result of migration from the Four Corners area.

Where does the name Bandelier come from?

Adolph Francis Bandelier was a Swiss-born scholar who grew up in Illinois and came to the Southwest at age forty to pursue a life-long dream of exploring the ancient sites of the Pueblo Indians. By mastering foreign languages easily, Bandelier communicated with the native peoples and in 1880 became the first to study and report on the dwelling sites in Frijoles Canyon. Along with scientific reports, he also published The Delight Makers, a fictionalized version of Pueblo life before the arrival of the Spanish. With the aid of more prominent archeologists, Bandelier illuminated the importance of preserving the heritage in Frijoles Canyon and was recognized by President Woodrow Wilson who established the area as a national monument and named it after him. Always the adventurer, Bandelier’s life ended in Spain; however his ashes were spread here in the canyon in 1980.

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