Casas Grandes

Casas Grandes, commonly called Paquimé, is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, and a regional centre of the Casas Grandes culture. It is best known as a major adobe settlement linked to Oasisamerica and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

Paquimé was occupied and developed by the Casas Grandes cultural complex during the Late Prehistoric period, roughly from the 12th to the 15th centuries CE, serving as a regional administrative and trading centre. The settlement declined and was abandoned before European contact; archaeological excavations in the 20th century revealed its extensive adobe architecture and artifact assemblages.

The archaeological zone sits near the modern town of Casas Grandes (Paquimé) in the Casas Grandes valley of northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, and is reached by road from regional towns and highways.

• UNESCO status: Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 for its well-preserved adobe architecture and evidence of long-distance prehistoric trade.
• Architecture highlights: Onsite interpretation explains distinctive features such as T-shaped doorways, multi-storey adobe construction and engineered water channels.

What to See #

• Main compound (Paquimé): The main archaeological complex at Paquimé contains multiroom, multi-storey adobe constructions arranged around plazas and courtyards; many walls show original T-shaped doorways and evidence of internal drainage systems.
• Ballcourt and public areas: A visible ballcourt and other public-structure remains document communal and ritual activity at the site and lie close to the central plaza area.
• Site museum and visitor centre: A small onsite museum and visitor facilities display ceramics, stone tools and excavation finds from the site and provide interpretation of the Casas Grandes culture.