The people who lived in this masonry pueblo were prehistoric homesteaders. These farmers planted their fields in moisture-holding sandy soils and took water from the nearby Puerco River. This was a small settlement with possibly only about 18 families living here at its peak.

The 10-inch thick, windowless walls of the rooms formed a barrier against strong southwesterly winds. Hearths found in some rooms indicate they were living areas. Smaller adjoining rooms may have been used for storage and milling. Three rectangular kivas, where the men met to work and hold ceremonies, have been unearthed.

Evidence suggests that Puerco Pueblo was occupied twice, from A.D. 1100 to 1200 and again in the 1300s. The people left their home peacefully by the 15th century, later than many other prehistoric groups in the Southwest. Residents of Puerco may have been direct ancestors of the modern day Hopi and Zuni.

-- From the National Park Service