It does seem sort of ludicrous that a building material made of mud and straw can durable enough to last hundreds of years. And it’s also ludicrous that over time it just melts back into the earth it originally came from.

But the best part about all of this is the way these walls, as they gradually melt away, begin to take on the shapes of the surrounding mountains.

Santa Rosa de Lima ruins
Abiquiu, New Mexico
photographed 7.3.2024