Tag: Arizona

Colorful Rock Art and Cliff Dwellings: Palatki Heritage Site

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Situated in the beautiful canyons of Sedona, AZ, Palatki Heritage Site is an archaeological site with cliff dwellings and beautiful rock art.  These Sinagua cliff dwellings date between 1150-1350 AD.  The rock art includes pictographs in a variety of symbols and shades.  The rock art is amazingly well preserved; I have rarely seen such a variety of colors incorporated.  The cliff dwelling is a little difficult to properly explore (you see it from a distance), but the rock art is highly visible.

*As ever, be respectful when visiting these fragile archaeological sites.  Never touch rock art, as that can destroy the images.  Be careful not to disturb the architecture and remember it is illegal to take artifacts.

Learn more about Palatki:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=55368&actid=119

A Quick Visit to Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site

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Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Ganado, Arizona is a fun stop, a great place to get out of your car, stretch your legs, grab a soda, and learn a little bit about the history of the area. The trading post has a long history and it is still going strong as a trading business! In fact, it is the oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Nation. John Lorenzo Hubbell bought the trading post in 1878 and supplied the Navajo people once they were allowed to return home; the Navajo had been brutally exiled from their homeland by the U.S. Government up until 10 years before Hubbell’s purchase. Hubbell built a trading empire with Navajo goods, such as woven rugs and silver items, providing a variety of supplies to the Navajo in return. The Hubbell family operated the trading post until 1967, when it was sold to the National Park Service.  It is now both an interpretive site, museum, and store.  The museum has a wonderful exhibit on Navajo weaving.

Links:

https://www.nps.gov/hutr/index.htm

http://www.hubbelltradingpost.org/

Adventures in Rock Art: Picture Canyon, Flagstaff, AZ

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Picture Canyon is just a short drive away from the heart of Flagstaff. It is a beautiful little state park that has been recently cleaned up to preserve the archaeological, geological, and wildlife resources of the canyon. Obviously, the archaeology was high on my list of things to check out. Unfortunately, the visible ruins of pit houses, cave dwellings, and artifacts have been vandalized over the years; the sites were still fun to explore, but the archaeologist in me was annoyed. At least the rock art is good shape! There are over 150 petroglyphs of animals, geometric designs, and archers. The petroglyphs were created by the Northern Sinagua, who lived and farmed the area between 1000 and 1200 AD. If you’re ever in Flagstaff, I highly recommend hiking through the canyon!

Find out more:

http://www.flagstaff.az.gov/index.aspx?NID=2881

*Please note: rock art is incredibly fragile. Do not touch rock art, spray-paint it, or vandalize it in any way. Not only is it ethically wrong, it is illegal.

Favorites in Archaeology, Part 1: Keet Seel

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From Mesa Verde to Chaco Canyon, the American Southwest holds unique archaeological ruins of massive pueblos and cliff dwellings dotting the landscape. How ancient peoples managed to survive and thrive in such challenging conditions (i.e. minimal rainfall, etc.) is truly impressive. One of my favorite cliff dwellings is Keet Seel (or Kiet Siel), which is located at Navajo National Monument in Arizona. Keet Seel, one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the United States, is truly an archaeological smorgasbord. There are thousands of artifacts scatter around the site, well preserved rooms to peek into, and beautifully painted rock art. This cliff dwelling is not the easiest place to get to and it is closed to visitors much of the year. When I was asked to help monitor impact of water and wind erosion at Keel Seel, I jumped at the opportunity. The hike to Keet Seel winds through steep canyons and has visitors sloshing through muddy streams most of the way, but the site is worth every uncomfortable moment.

Like other cliff dwellings in the region, Keet Seel is situated in a niche oriented toward the southeast, providing shade during the hottest months and deriving heat from the winter sun. Construction at Keet Seel began around 1250 AD, when considerable numbers of people were amassing at larger sites throughout the southwest. Construction peaked between 1272 and 1275 AD, but halted around 1286 AD. Approximately 150 people lived at Keet Seel during the height of construction. The site itself was abandoned during the early 1300s.

This site is incredibly fragile and is not accessible to visitors without a permit. Although in an isolated location, Keet Seel is under threat of looting and general off-season visitation. People are constantly getting “lost” by going off trail and trying to find the trail to Keet Seel, even though the site is a long 8 mile trek from the Visitors Center; maybe they think the rangers are lying about the distance—they’re not. True, this site is incredible and worth the trek to visit. However, how can we—as cultural resource managers—balance the importance of public education with preservation? Through a whole lot of educational outreach and preservation work!