Bernalillo in Sandoval County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

They are all well built with straight, well-squared walls

Photographed by James Hulse, April 9, 2025

1. They are all well built with straight, well-squared walls Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

"We visited a good many of these pueblos. They are all well built with straight, well-squared walls. Their towns have no defined streets. Their houses are three, five, six and even seven stories high, with many windows and terraces. The men spin and weave and the women cook, build houses, and keep them in good repair. They dress in garments of cotton cloth, and the women wear beautiful shawls of many colors. They are quiet, peaceful people of good appearance and excellent physique, alert and intelligent. They are not known to drink, a good omen indeed. We saw no maimed or deformed people among them. The men and women alike are excellent swimmers. They are also expert in the art of painting, and are good fishermen. They live in complete equality, neither exercising authority nor demanding obedience."

Gaspar Perez de Villagra-1610

Spanish:
"Visitamos un buen número de estos pueblos. Todos están bien construídos, con paredes rectas, bien escuadradas. Sus aldeas no tienen calles definidas. Sus casas tienen tres, cinco, seis y siete pisos de altura, con muchas ventanas y terrazas. Los hombres hilan con el ovillo y el telar y las mujeres cocinan y construyen y reparan las casas. Se visten con ropa hecha de tela de algodón y las mujeres usan hermosos chales de muchos colores. Son gente callada, pacífica, de buena apariencia y excelentes condiciones físicas, alerta e inteligente. No se sabe que les guste la bebida, lo que es un buen augurio. No vimos gente lisiada o deforme entre ellos. Los hombres y las mujeres, por igual, son excelentes nadadores. También son expertos en el arte de la pintura y son buenos pescadores. Viven en completa igualdad, sin ejercer autoridad ni demandar obediencia."

Gaspar Perez de Villagra-1610

Topics.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 35° 19.83′ N, 106° 33.417′ W. Marker is in Bernalillo, New Mexico, in Sandoval County. It is on Kuaua Road half a mile east of U.S. 550. The marker is located in the Kuaua Ruins (Coronado Historic Site). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 485 Kuaua Rd, Bernalillo NM 87004, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the San Juan Basin

and in Greater Albuquerque.

It is also in the American Southwest

and at the Four Corners.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also the Republic of Texas.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Another Smaller Square Kiva at Kuaua (within shouting distance of this marker); Central Plaza (within shouting distance of this marker); Successful Agriculture (within

The view of the Pueblo and the marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, April 9, 2025

2. The view of the Pueblo and the marker

shouting distance of this marker); Grind the Meal (within shouting distance of this marker); Coronado's Expedition (within shouting distance of this marker); Archaeological excavations / Excavaciones arqueológicas (within shouting distance of this marker); Kuaua Ruins (within shouting distance of this marker); Pueblo (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bernalillo.

More about this marker. There is a small fee to visit the Kuaua Ruins (Coronado Historic Site).

Also see . . .
1. Coronado Historic Site. New Mexico Historic Sites

Coronado Historic Site and the ancient Kuaua Pueblo are located just minutes north of Albuquerque (off of I-25, Exit 242) in Bernalillo. In 1540, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado—with 500 soldiers and 2,000 Indigenous allies from New Spain—entered the Rio Grande valley somewhere near this site. Coronado was searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold.

(Submitted on May 26, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

2. Gaspar Pérez de Villagrá. Wikipedia

Gaspar Pérez de Villagrá (1555–1620) was a captain and legal officer (procurador general)
Photographed by James Hulse, April 9, 2025

3. A straight, well-squared wall Pueblo
in the Juan de Oñate expedition that first colonized Santa Fe de Nuevo México in 1598. Between 1601 and 1603, he served as the Alcalde mayor of the Guanacevi mines in what is now the Mexican state of Durango. He is better known for his authorship of Historia de la Nueva México, published in 1610.

(Submitted on May 27, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 100 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 27, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.