Saturday, September 22, 2012

Looking for the Ancient Ones


The WINs have moved on to Delores, CO. We heard that there was a private tour of the huge cluster of Anasazi ruins right up the road at Yellow Jacket. It was a half mile tromp through sage brush. I should not have worn shorts...


The Yellow Jacket Pueblo was the site of a large village from the mid-1000s to the late 1200s AD. This is what it looked like then. It covered 100 acres and 195 kivas, 19 towers, and up to 1200 rooms. Wow! I couldn't wait!


This is what it looks like now. Oh...


Our guide Dennis showed us the highlights -


Of which this is one. Let's just say you needed a good imagination. Apparently, they have dug these ruins up, and then reburied them to preserve them. I just didn't get it.


This rock was kind of interesting.


We did see a couple of petroglyphs. I think this is supposed to be a lizard.


I thought the most interesting thing was the pottery shards. There were a fair number of them around.


Including some painted ones.


We are staying at the campground at McPhee Reservoir. The water is really low due to the drought.


It's a beautiful campground, though, with short junipers and pinyon pines, so I can get my solar and satellite.

at

9 comments:

  1. Prettypics123September 22, 2012 at 7:40 AM

    Life is good isn't it Diana!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Paul and Marti DahlSeptember 22, 2012 at 8:18 AM

    I don't have to look to far to find an ancient one. Every morning when I look in the mirror...

    So, they dug up the ruins and reburied them to preserve them? Sounds like something a govenment agency would do. :c(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jim and SandieSeptember 22, 2012 at 9:07 AM

    A little disappointing that the ruins had been reburied. Hope your legs have recovered from all the scratches. Gorgeous sunset picture.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Barbara and RonSeptember 22, 2012 at 10:05 AM

    We were someplace where they had reburied ruins too, but I can't remember where. It seems they did leave some visible for the tourists.

    ReplyDelete
  5. DaveSeptember 22, 2012 at 12:27 PM

    I can understand the reburial of human remains but why rebury other artifacts as they are once again lost to man.

    Strange.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownSeptember 22, 2012 at 1:48 PM

    I too would have been disappointed and let down. I guess the pottery shards are interesting, although sometimes similar pieces show themselves when we are mowing our yard.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chuck and Anneke's RV travelsSeptember 22, 2012 at 8:39 PM

    That is a strange ruins site, I sure hope they had a good reason to rebury everything.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ladynomadSeptember 23, 2012 at 7:52 AM

    Made it to hovenweep and guess who is my neighbor? Virginia Wolfe, the archaeologist from yellowjacket ruins. she has a group and they are going to map cross canyon.

    ReplyDelete
  9. KimbopoloSeptember 24, 2012 at 8:25 AM

    Hey Diana - I sent you an email. Not sure if you got it. Check your spam folder.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments!