Native American Ruins In The Southwestern United States
(petroglyphs in Zion National Park, Utah, www.alpenglowimagesphotography.com/)
Which Native American Sites Should I Visit? Where Exactly Are They?
- Nevada is home to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and Museum as well as the Grimes Point Archeological Area, where petroglyphs and other forms of rock art can be found.
- Utah: Cedar Mesa is a plateau measuring 400 square miles and is bordered by the Grand Gulch and Comb Ridge. The Grand Gulch Primitive Area is a network of canyons formed from sandstone. Grand Gulch is known for its pueblo ruins and is exceptional for hiking. Comb Ridge and Butler Wash are also incredible sites filled with Anasazi ruins near the foothills of the Abajo Mountains. Comb Wash is a valley in San Juan, Utah, and merges with the San Juan River while Comb Ridge in what is known as a “monocline” (a formation in rock strata that resembles two steps).
- The Zion National Park in Utah is filled with canyon trails (including The Weeping Rock, Hidden Canyon, and Observation Point Trails) and wildlife (such as black bear, mountain goats, moose, and elk) beneath a clear blue sky. It is known for its amazing colors of red, cream, and pink sandstone cliffs. To collect Spartan and the Green Egg’s Zion National Park travel pin, visit Spartanandthegreenegg.com!
- Arizona is home to the Navajo National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Canyon de Chelly, and Antelope Canyon (to name a few). You can also collect the Spartan and the Green Egg travel pin for Antelope Canyon (known for “its unique arches made out of spiraling rocks”).
- New Mexico: The Aztec Ruins National Monument is located on the Animas River and is known for its nearly 1,000-year-old structures created by the Pueblo Indians (including ancient rooms, trails, and passageways).
(Four Corners Region, www.farmingtonnm.org)
- The Four Corners Region of the United States is where the southwestern border of Colorado meets Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.
- Mesa Verde National Park is known for its famous cliff dwellings built in the late 12th century by the Ancestral Puebloan people (also known as the Anasazi Indians); they built pueblos in which to live under the overhanging cliffs. Located in Colorado, this national park contains some of the most well-preserved ruins of ancient Native American life.
(Cedar Mesa, Utah.com)
What is the Cultural Significance of these Ruins?
These ruins are the preserved remains of an ancient culture that was incredibly advanced and imaginative. The tribes that lived there were a mighty people, and those (such as the Anasazi Tribe) were wiped out by the 1300s. The Native American people understood and valued wilderness and nature in a way unlike any other, and it is through these magnificent ruins that we can discover and honor the past.
For more information on the many culturally significant archeological sites discussed in this blog (along with many others), consult the websites below.
https://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/cedar-mesa-grand-gulch/comb-ridge.html
https://www.blm.gov/visit/grimes-point-hidden-cave-site
http://www.americanwesttravel.com/utah/grand-gulch-primitive-area/
https://andrewskurka.com/quickstart-guide-cedar-mesa-grand-gulch-utah/
https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/historyculture/cliff_dwellings_home.htm#:~:targetText=The%20cliff%20dwellings%
20of%20Mesa,built%20beneath%20the%20overhanging%20cliffs.
https://www.oars.com/blog/southwests-best-ancient-sites/
https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/stunning-places-see-native-american-ruins.html/
http://photographersguide.org/top-anasazi-sites-in-the-american-southwest/
https://www.americansouthwest.net/ancient-ruins.html
https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amsw/sitelist.htm
https://www.spartanandthegreenegg.com/product/antelope-canyon-arizona/
https://www.spartanandthegreenegg.com/product/zion-national-park/
