Ruins 2

As readers may know, we are Forest Service “Guardians” to a little pre and post- Columbian (400- 1700?) pueblo near town. Mostly we just visit and document any changes, whether caused by natural erosion or “intruders” from kangaroo and pack rats to blundering cows and teenaged Navajo partiers. Today we joined FS Archaeologist Matt Basham to document some damage, but also to photo some post- colonial influences in the form of crosses of two datable types.

The cow damage had been inadvertent; the rancher there is conscientious, but a young cowboy from Alamo working for him had brainlessly put a 250 pound salt block ON a prehistoric stone structure, making cows trample the wall and pottery shards into pieces too small to identify, and also attracting passing cows and tempting them to bed in the ruin and trample and break more. Luckily unlike deliberate vandalism or looting it is easy to fix. Some shots:

Photographing the crosses was more fun. The pueblo tried to remain neutral in the Pueblo Revolt, and kept trading with the Spanish. The first two are simple; the third is a more ornate type known variously (and confusingly?) as both a Franciscan and a conquistador’s cross. As always, right and/ or double click to embiggen.

The kiva looks like a mere depression but then it is a lot older. Later I will post a remote sensing shot that shows the walls, underground.