The extraordinary archaeological resources at Chimney Rock have helped illuminate the history of the ancestral Puebloans who lived here over a thousand years ago. They built structures from the valley floors to the mesa tops, including the highest ceremonial Great House in the Southwest. They left behind clues of their livelihood in architecture, pottery, stone tools, and other artifacts that have been subjects of study since the 1920s. More recently, anthropologists working with tribes and pueblos of the Southwest have strengthened understanding of and connections to this site. Chimney Rock was designated as a national monument in 2012 to preserve its spiritual, historic, and scientific resources.