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Tonto National Monument
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Lower
Tonto Cliff Dwelling
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Located in the cool recesses of erosion-carved alcoves, high above Arizona's Tonto Basin stand the long deserted cliff dwellings of the ancient Salado people. From around A.D. 1050 until about 1450, the Salado culture thrived in the valley where the Tonto Creek joins the Salt River. Approximately 1300 people spread out from the valley onto hillsides, plateaus and caves. |
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No one knows for sure why some groups of Salado moved into caves, but it is widely accepted that a growing population and shrinking resources forced the Salado to move onto the hillsides. The Salado left no written records. Their stories had to be rediscovered through methodical archeological studies of their skillfully painted pottery, woven fabrics, and other relics that they left behind. These materials lay undisturbed for centuries among the ruins and beneath the surface in this rugged landscape. Today, as park visitors wander through the mud-plastered structures of the Upper Dwelling, they still might see a piece of 600 year old corn lying on the ruin floor. I know I saw one the last time I visited! More >
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Tonto Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Next >
Official NPS website for Tonto National Monument
Other Tonto References: Tonto on Answers.com | Tonto on Wikipedia | Tonto on Desert USA
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