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Cueva Grande
Gets its name from the rock formation on which it is situated.
Eight centuries old, one of the largest sites of gatherers and the first settled farmers in Arid America. Among the many constructions in the shelter of the cave, it preserves the remains of a watchtower, so the inhabitants could keep a lookout and be in communication with the important enclave of Huapoca.
About the site

This area opened to the public under the protection of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in 1994. It belonged to the Huapoca complex, given its proximity, but it has been considered separate for several reasons, one of which is its geographical delimitation, since the two zones are separated by the Papigochic River.

Cueva Grande, like Huapoca and Cuarenta Casas, belongs to the settlements known as “houses on cliffs," an umbrella term coined by twentieth-century archeologists to refer to the housing of Native Americans who lived in rocky caves or shelters at the top of the cliffs.

This site was built by settlers belonging to the Mogollon culture when they migrated from north to south, and it maintained trade links with Paquimé. It is enclosed in a corner of the mountain covered by a waterfall and contains at least nine rooms spread out around a small square, which was possibly used for community activities.

It seems that the inhabitants of this site had a high level of social organization, as two granaries for storing maize are found in the central square. Other important architectural elements are the foundations and the outline of a small watchtower which served as a point of communication with the Huápoca Site.

1200 - 1521

Posclásico Tardío

Did you know...
  • The granaries indicate that the inhabitants were concerned about the administration of their resources, which were protected and distributed among families.
Practical information
Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00 hrs

Free entry


  • No Smoking
  • No entry with food
  • Pets not allowed
Se localiza en el municipio de Madera, Chihuahua, en el paraje conocido como Arroyo de la Cueva que desemboca al Río Papigochi.

From Ciudad Madera, take the road heading west. After 40 km, at the end of the pass, continue on the first track to the right, cross the Papigochi River and begin to ascend until you find the entrance to the cave which is home to the archeological zone.

Services
  • Centro de atención al visitante
  • Sanitarios
  • Visitas guiadas
  • +52 (614) 410 9076
  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Directory
Encargado
Centro INAH Chihuahua
+52 (614) 410 8733
Apoyo operativo
José Efrén Domínguez
Cueva Grande
Structures
1691
244_A_000
244_A_cueva_grande_archivo_inah_2
Archivo INAH
20171010_222858
20171010_222837
Norte
Antigua de ocho siglos, uno de los sitios más grandes de recolectores y primeros agricultores de Aridamérica, conserva, entre otras construcciones al abrigo de la caverna, rastros de una atalaya, un puesto de vigía que la ponía en comunicación con el importante enclave de Huápoca.
Eight centuries old, one of the largest sites of gatherers and the first settled farmers in Arid America. Among the many constructions in the shelter of the cave, it preserves the remains of a watchtower, so the inhabitants could keep a lookout and be in communication with the important enclave of Huapoca.
Su nombre hace alusión a la formación rocosa sobre la que está situada.
Gets its name from the rock formation on which it is situated.

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