Before the Ruins is set in the American Southwest during the 13th century and takes place at several large cliff dwellings and in the surrounding system of canyons. The ruins of many such structures still exist today in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Although the people who originally built them are most popularly known as the Anasazi, they are more formally referred to today as the Ancestral Puebloans. However, we still do not know what they called themselves, and what exactly led to the abandonment of their cliff dwellings remains a source of mystery and debate.
I delve into this mystery a little more fully in Faint Shadow of an Unwritten History, my recent blog article on the Blueberry Lane Books website. In any case, the scope of their architectural achievements stands as a testament to the complexity of their society and their ingenuity in the face of an unforgiving landscape.
In writing Before the Ruins, I consulted a number of written sources, but also made several site visits that also helped me imagine their civilization. While there are many notable Puebloan sites, some of which remain on my bucket list, here is a list of the sites I visited. They are worth the trip if you are inspired to learn more:
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Chimney Rock National Monument
By the way, all the photos on this site are from the locations listed above, except for the photo of me. That one was, oddly enough, taken in Arkansas.