Page "Ancient Pueblo Peoples" Paragraph 36

The system was first discovered at the end of the 19th century, and first excavated and studied in the 1970s.

Archaeologists suggested that the road's main purpose was to transport local and exotic goods inside and outside the canyon.

Someone also suggested that these large roads were used to quickly move an army from the canyon to the outlier communities, a purpose similar to the road systems known for the Roman empire.

This last scenario has long been discarded because of the lack of any evidence of a permanent army.