The Verde Salt Mine and The Importance of Salt Through History

Imagine with me for a moment, you’re a miner, in the 1920s. Your employer has commissioned you and your fellow workers to dig extensive tunnels beneath the rocky ground of the Verde Valley. Somewhere, in the midst of your work, as you trace through the rich layers of salt, you find itโ€”a body! This body, …

My Favorite Sedona Ruins

If youโ€™ve followed my work for any length of time, you undoubtedly are familiar with my love for Sedona. While it may be a world-famous tourist destination, itโ€™s a great place to escape the crowdsโ€”and actually, if you go far enough into any Sedona canyon, you are unlikely to see anyone. But beyond the views …

Cave of Munits

While planning a recent California vacation, I came across a nameโ€”The Cave of Munitsโ€”I was intrigued, and so began the journey and the research. The Cave of Munits practically rides the county line between Ventura and Los Angeles in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. Amidst the urban sprawl, El Escorpion Trail takes …

Ancient Creek Ruins, Sierra Ancha Wilderness

These ancient dwellings are built into a small alcove overlooking a creek in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness. Their likely construction, sometime between 1280 and 1350 A.D., was determined, in part, by the tree rings found in the beams along the roof. I have visited a number of ruins in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness, much of …

Village Of Rio Puerco, Petrified Forest

This is the Village of Rio Puerco, thought to have been settled by the Pueblo natives (Anasazi) from 1250 to 1380 A.D. It is believed that a series of droughts led them from scattered living to congregating in large pueblo communities, such as this. The Village is located near the banks of the Puerco River. …

The Apache Leap And Apache Tears

These small obsidian stones and volcanic glass are what’s known as “Apache Tears.” The story goes… In the 1870s, the military ambushed several scores of the Apache tribe on a cliff overlooking what is now known as Superior, Arizona. Many Apache were killed on the spot, and those that remained chose suicide as they ran …

Beautiful Trough Metate

Check out this beautiful Trough Metate! The accompanying grinding stoneโ€”known as a Manoโ€”would have been a perfect fit for this specific Metate, and not a good fit for any other, thus, not interchangeable. While the Basin-type Metates I have shared previously (visit link below) were intended for single-hand use and grinding in a circular motion, …

Mortar And Metate, What’s The Difference?

Here we have 2 different artifacts with similar appearances and functions. Can you tell the difference? I briefly touched on the Metate and its use before, but I will retouch on it in this post. Similarities: Like the Metate, Mortars are food-prep tools made of stone with an inner-basin used to process different plant material …

Ancient Corn

If you’ve ever visited ancient ruins, you may have encountered something like this. As remarkable as it is, corn and cornhusks, centuries old, just like these, can still be found today. Evidence suggest many natives were protein-starved, and corn may have been the staple in the diet of many tribes. When the Spanish came into …