Madera Cave Dwellings

Madera, Chihuahua, Mexico
10th--14th century
Like their contemporaries in the southwestern United States, the Paquimé of northern Mexico lived in remote communities built of adobe at the base of sheer mountain cliffs. Of these pre-Hispanic sites, Casas Grandes, near Madera is the largest, and most studied, of an indeterminate number situated along a probable commercial route leading to the Pacific. While similar sites are comparatively well documented in the United States, those in Mexico have received little attention. Out of hundreds, only 30 have been officially registered on the government inventory of cultural heritage, but even that designation is no guarantee of protection. Local ranchers still use many dwellings in the Madera region as shelter for livestock. Because of the sites' remoteness, vandals and treasure hunters have been able to inflict considerable damage. All of the Madera caves need to be registered and a multidisciplinary team of professionals must be enlisted to guide research, conservation, and interpretation. A recent book about these sites has helped draw attention to the perils facing them. While ecotourism may be the answer, an enforceable management plan needs to be devised as soon as possible.

Listed in 1998