Rimrock view of Pueblo Bonito.

Tall section of curved north wall.

View of north wall from inside the D-shaped great house.

Northeast area where threathening rock fell into the north wall.

Threathening rock destroyed an entire section of rooms.

The style of masonry varies at the various great houses in Chaco Canyon.  All the very-high quality masonry is lain with adobe mortar.  Nonetheless, the beautiful artistry was covered with stucco and probably painted.  It is all the more impressive for having survived near 1,000 years in an exposed area.
 

An atypical corner opening is seen in this view of the highest walls in the southeast corner.  This opening has received some speculative attention about its astronomic alignment.  It is not known if light entered the room in prehistoric times because the outer walls (foreground) are collapsed.  The firmly established astronomic features of Pueblo Bonito include precise alignments to the cardinal directions, of the North-South wall and the southern-most wall (aligns due east-west).

Architectural plan and artist's conception of Pueblo Bonito
as displayed on interpretive plaques at the ruin.

The Great Kiva in the West Plaza is in the foreground,
the larger Great Kiva adjoins the North-South wall to the south. 

PowerPoints:   Pueblo Bonito    |  Chaco Canyon   |   Aztec