Appaloosa Horses for Sale near Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM

About Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM

Signs of human activity in the middle Rio Grande valley date back to as early as 10,000 B.C. The introduction of cultivated maize from Mexico in 1,000 B.C. marked a major turning point in the settlement of the region, causing the traditionally nomadic tribes of the area to adopt a more agricultural way of life. The first pueblos in the area appeared between 1 and 600 A.D., established by the Tiwas (called Tigua by the Spaniards), and by 1,200 AD there were already 14 major sites along the Rio Grande from Algodones to Isleta, the Chamisal Site in present-day Los Ranchos being among the largest of these communities. Hernando de Alvarado was reported as being one of the first Europeans to lay eyes on the region in September 1540 as the leader of a small convoy sent out by Coronado.