May 10, 2025, 7:27 a.m. | Reading time: 6 minutes
Taos Pueblo in northeastern New Mexico is considered the oldest permanently inhabited place in the entire United States. The ancestors of the indigenous people, some of whom still live here permanently, have settled this area for at least 1,000 years. Once the site of thriving trade and bloody conflict, Taos is now a magnet for artists and tourists from around the world.
At the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, about 90 kilometers from Santa Fe, lies a very special settlement in the US state of New Mexico. Especially equal in more than one sense, because Taos Pueblo is probably the oldest permanently inhabited place in the entire United States. People of mainly indigenous descent still live there today, just like their forefathers once did, and have done so for around 1000 years. The area as such was probably settled much earlier. Taos is also unique because the houses here are almost entirely made of clay. And finally, there is an eventful history that the old walls can tell.
No electricity or running water
Cruel punishments
Energy beings from the cosmos
According to the official website, the oldest surviving buildings in Taos Pueblo were built between 1000 and 1450 AD. The original inhabitants of the area simply mixed earth with water and straw to build it. They made bricks out of it and let them dry in the sun. They stacked the finished material to create structures up to five stories high, which are still preserved on site today and attract visitors from all over the world. What's special: To protect themselves from enemies, the clay houses had no doors. It was accessed via the roof using a ladder that could be easily retracted in case of danger. There is a special reason why the structures have been so surprisingly well preserved over the centuries to this day.
No electricity or running water
Because once a year, an indigenous committee renovates them by applying new clay to the walls of the Taos Pueblo houses. Most of the buildings have been in families for centuries and are passed down from generation to generation. The indigenous tradition means that even today they do not have running water or electricity. Therefore, most of the residents have a more modern house nearby and use their ancient buildings mainly for ceremonial purposes. According to the official website, around 150 people still live in the place permanently, and a total of almost 2,000 Taos natives still live in the area around what is probably the oldest settlement in the USA.
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Today a tourist magnet and an attraction for numerous artists, Taos Pueblo was a thriving trading center before the arrival of Europeans, in the case of New Mexico the Spanish. According to the US National Park Service website, its residents' connections extended throughout the present state and beyond. Once a year, after the harvest, Taos even had a kind of agricultural fair in the fall that attracted visitors from far and wide. Their size even impressed the Spaniards, who from 1540 gradually penetrated the land that the indigenous people had probably previously inhabited for thousands of years.
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Cruel punishments
Like everywhere else, the residents of Taos Pueblo suffered silently for a long time under the yoke of the European conquerors. They tried to eradicate their culture and language through bans and draconian punishments. According to “Encyclopedia Britannica,” this resulted in repeated cruel executions or mutilations. In addition, countless indigenous people were sold into slavery. But none of this could break their resistance against the occupiers, and several bloody uprisings broke out. In the revolt of 1680, which went down in history, the people of Taos even managed to free themselves from the Spanish for 12 years. This uprising cost the lives of 400 Spaniards, including many priests who wanted to enforce the Catholic faith among the indigenous people.
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It is probably thanks to this desire for independence that many residents of Taos Pueblo still speak the ancient tribal language Tiwa, in addition to English and Spanish. The town has its own preschool and primary school where predominantly indigenous teachers teach. In addition, although the community falls under US jurisdiction, it is officially recognized as an autonomous zone. In 1970, the administration achieved an important success with the return of almost 20,000 hectares of land. The holy lake “Blue Lake” is an important place of worship here. In 1906 the US government appropriated the land. Taos Pueblo has been recognized as a Historic Landmark since 1965. In 1992, UNESCO declared the place a world heritage site.
Energy beings from the cosmos
According to the BBC, many Taos believe that their forefathers once came to earth from the far reaches of the cosmos. They see themselves as energy beings who, after their death, return to the heaven from which they came. Perhaps this spirituality is also a reason why Taos Pueblo attracted artists as early as the 1920s. The patron Mabel Dodge Luhan invited, among others, the famous photographer Ansel Adams and the painter Georgia O'Keeffe to his property here. Today, tourists come in droves to see what is probably the oldest permanently inhabited settlement in the United States.
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According to the official website, you have the opportunity to do this every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, towards the end of the year the village closes to visitors for ten weeks. It is therefore always advisable to find out more in advance. Also about appropriate behavior in Taos Pueblo, because not all areas of the village are accessible to visitors. Well-attended indigenous festivals take place here several times a year. Even today, for example, there is still the aforementioned agricultural fair in autumn. A regular visit currently costs $25 (22 euros) for adults, and entry is free for children under ten.
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