Our Thursday hike with Jeanne took us to Garden Valley* in the Superstition Wilderness. Lori, from our Park, also joined us for the 4.5 m / 7+ km hike. It was a perfect day for the rambling route and, because of the recent rain, we found water pooled and running in several locations in the essentially desert area.
*Garden Valley was formed by a small group of Hohokams probably a 1,000 years ago when the climate conditions were more favorable. This large valley flat has more than 200 acres of arable land when there is a sufficient supply of water. Today mesquite and cholla have become the dominant vegetation in the area because cattle growers over-grazed the area for the past 100 years. Indeed we passed the remains of ranch corrals along the route we hiked.
A ruin was located in the center of the valley. This structure probably housed twenty-five to thirty individuals, while small caves on the fringe of the valley contained other families. Prior to 1930, the valley floor was literally covered with stone tools used by the ancient inhabitants who cultivated this special parcel of land.
The Superstition Wilderness Area is a significant treasure trove of ancient archaeological sites belonging to the Hohokam and Salado cultures. Mixed among the Hohokam and Salado cultures are the more contemporary Apaches and Yavapais.
It is difficult to estimate when man first occupied these lands in what is known today as the Superstition Wilderness. Many archaeologists suggest ancient cultures were using the region for gathering and hunting subsistence as early as 350 BC. There are lithics or stone tools that suggest a primitive hunting culture may have existence in this area 8,000 – 10,000 years ago. The Salado probably arrived on the scene around 800 AD. These architects of mud and stone left several excellent examples of their work in the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment