The Prehistoric Salado Lower Cliff Dwellings In Gila County, Arizona

The Nite Tripper has added a photo to the pool:

This is a photograph that I took inside the prehistoric, 16 room cliff housing site occupied by the Salado people in the Tonto Basin region of Gila County, Arizona. This site, referred to as the lower cliff dwelling, is one of two that comprise the Tonto National Monument that was designated by order of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907.

The Salado lived in this region of Arizona from the 1100s to the 1400s, A.D. They were farmers who supplemented their food supply by hunting and gathering. Their diet consisted of turtle, prairie dog, deer, raccoon, corn, beans, pumpkins, and amaranth. Their culture is characterized by the construction of crude adobe housing and the creation of beautifully decorated pottery. They were also skilled weavers who created baskets, sandals, and other clothing items from yucca and agave fibers. The Salado are also noted for their practice of burying their dead rather than using cremation.

Many people mistakenly refer to the inhabitants of these cliff side housing units as being a cliff dwelling culture. The Tonto Basin region was dotted with hundreds of Salado housing sites along the course of the Salt River, which flows through the basin. The Salado who built their houses among the cliffs did so just for convenience; not because of culture.

This housing unit was home to several families. In addition to the 16 ground floor rooms, there were three second story rooms. The site is located at a very steep angle that is difficult to walk to. Today, the prehistoric Salado lower cliff dwelling affords a view of the expansi! ve Theod ore Roosevelt Lake, which was formed by the damming of the Salt River. The damming of the river flooded hundreds of other Salado archaeological sites. Nobody knows for sure what happened to the Salado; however, it is hypothesized that they left the region because of changes in the regional climate that made producing food difficult. The remains of many different types of animals and plants, along with pottery, flint tools, and clothing, have been found in the lower cliff dwelling.

This site is also a favorite dwelling place of Africanized Honey Bees. Fortunately during my visit, the bees were quiet and not too active. Last year their colony numbered in excess of 96,000 bees in the lower cliff dwelling!