I've had the pleasure of visiting several Anasazi sites in the Southwest and am most impressed by Chaco Canon -- Casa Bonita, et al.
There is a strong spiritual sense about these places. They were home to people we can reach out to and almost touch, as you describe.
They inspired my wife to reach out to her ancestors, launching her into the hobby of geneaology.
I am encouraged to hear that your wife felt the connection to the past so strongly. There is something mystical about being confronted with an actual home in which some ancient people lived where you can touch one woman's hand through eons of time. Or hold in your hand a shard of pottery shaped and painted by another's long ago hand.
My grandmother in law once gave me a piece of 3000 year old cloth from the middle east. I could not touch it enough, or look at it often enough. Such a treasure. It disappeared with that husband. The cloth as a loss.
I am a history nut, but came to be a nut by wanting to know what sort of person, what kind of people, what could one person possibly do, think, come from, envision that would empower him, her to change the world? After 40 years of reading history I have broadened my interests, but am no less curious, insatiable actually. One thing they all seem to share. They all seem to know who they are and to have absolute convictions, good or bad. Wishy washy does not cut it then or now.