TONTO NATIONAL MONUMENT

TONTO NATIONAL MONUMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: JOSEF MUENCH OPPOSITE PAGE

"WHERE THE ANCIENTS DWELT-TONTO NATIONAL MONUMENT" BY JOSEF MUENCH. 4x5 Graphic View camera; daylight Ektachrome; f.27 at 1/5th sec; 84" Goerz Dagor lens; May; sunny forenoon. Photo shows prehistoric ruins at Tonto National Monument, near the Apache Trail (Arizona State Route 88), approximately forty-eight miles from Apache Junction. This beautiful little prehistoric ruin, tucked in a cave, overlooks Roosevelt Lake. The early prehistoric farmers who built it, centuries ago, looked out over the same scene-minus the lake, but canyons, river and the vegetation (Staghorn Chollas in the foreground) were then as dramatic as now. Afew miles south of Roosevelt, Arizona, in the northeastern section of Two Bar Ridge in Gila County, are located two of the best preserved and most scenic prehistoric cliff dwellings in the southern section of Arizona. Situated high-up in Cholla Canyon, between 3,150 feet and 3,450 feet above sea level, the Tonto Cliff Dwellings provide a commanding view of the Roosevelt Basin and the rugged and colorful Sierra Ancha Mountians to the east and northeast. To the west lies the impregnable Four Peaks country, and to the southwest, the Superstition Mountain stronghold. The cliff dwellings derive their name from the Spanish word tonto meaning "fool" or "foolish." The term tonto was loosely applied to many of the Yavapai and Apache groups living in this area in the early settlement days, and was also applied to many landmarks, as well as the National Forest which was established here. Consequently, the cliff dwellings, located in Tonto National Forest, were designated by the same name. The Tonto Cliff Dwellings were begun in the late 1100s, having started as small family dwelling units which were gradually enlarged into large community houses. Prior to building their homes in these natural caves, these same Indians lived in mud and brush houses along the banks of the Salt River, which land is now mostly inundated by water of Roosevelt Lake. These Indians, greatly influenced by Pueblo Indians who were not too unlike the present-day Hopi and Zuni, have been termed the Salado, meaning salty in Spanish, because they lived in the Salt River region. After leaving their valley homes along the Salt River, they moved into the natural caves in the fastness of Cholla Canyon, possibly for defensive reasons. The Lower Ruins, during its period of occupation, consisted of some fifteen ground-floor rooms, several of these supporting second-story rooms, and probably accommodated in its entirety approximately fifty to sixty inhabitants. Two or three of the rooms of the dwelling are so small that they could hardly have been more than storage rooms; consequently, there were probably about twenty rooms in the Lower Ruins which were large enough for living quarters. However, it is quite likely that several of the larger rooms also may have been used for storage. One of the largest rooms (the only room which has no man-made roof over it as in the other rooms) located in the northwest corner of the cave may have been used as a counsel room or perhaps even as a site devoted to ceremonies.

OPPOSITE PAGE "VIEW FROM TONTO CLIFF DWELLINGS" BY BILL BASS.

4x5 Burke & James Press camera; Ektachrome; f.27 at 1/5 sec.; Schneider-Kreugnach Xenar f.4.5 lens; late September; bright sunlight; ASA rating of 12. Photo taken in Tonto National Monument about three quarters of the way up trail between Administration building and Tonto Cliff Dwellings. Tonto National Monument is on State Route 88, known as the Apache Trail. In this scene may be recognized in the foreground Teddy-bear or Jumping Cholla cactus and the giant Saguaro Cactus in the distance. Here one looks across Roosevelt Lake to Lookout Mountain. In two of the ground-floor rooms ceilings are still in place, with one of the ceilings of the two rooms intact as originally constructed by the early Indian inhabitants. Juniper poles, evenly tapered and possibly selected for uniformity, served as rafters, and a tight matting of saguaro ribs, bound together with yucca fibers, was laid over the juniper rafters at right angles. On top of this was placed about five inches of wet mud, thereby forming a floor for the room above. A long crossbeam, or a pine viga, running the entire length of the room at right angles to the rafters, supported the ceiling from below. This beam in turn was supported by a large upright post, conveniently placed at the center of the crossbeam and ingeniously mortised into place. In the southeast section of the room a hatchway was left in the ceiling, which served not only as an access to the second story, but as an outlet for smoke for the ground-floor room as well.

Determination of an exact date as to when ancient timbers were cut and placed into position has been made possible by the science of dendrochronology, or the dating of ancient timbers by tree rings. Through this art of tree ring dating, archaeologists have obtained a single recorded date of 1346 A. D. from one of these roof beams. It is probable that all of the floors were covered with a clay material in order to level the surface, and, not to be discounted, to perhaps suggest some effort in providing some cleanliness which a dirt floor alone could not effect. Almost centrally located in the floor of the room a clay-lined pit of approximately a foot in diameter was fashioned, in which small cooking and heating fires were built. One room in the Lower Ruins still has most of the clay floor and fire pit intact.

The doorways leading to and from rooms are of two distinct types: the ordinary rectangular type and the frequent semi-T-shaped doorways. Both of these were small, however, with each type averaging less thanfour feet in height and less than two feet in width. The belief is that these doorways were constructed in such manner purposely, so as to provide more protection from the elements, and possibly to offer more privacy to the occupant or occupants. It is also interesting to note at this point that the sturdy wooden plank lintels over the small doorways were hewn by hand, a few of which are still intact today.

Located within the Lower Ruins is a corridor, or hallway, one of the few found in an Indian ruin in the Southwest. The purpose of this particular construction is not definitely known, although it is believed that this corridor served in the same manner as a present day hallway within a modern home.

The walls of the rooms were constructed by placing quartzite stones of considerable size one on top of the other. With these carefully placed, mud was then packed in the open spaces and in solid masses over the stones, and served, upon drying, as a permanent, durable mortar. One can readily see finger and hand prints, left by the Salado workmen who applied the mud plaster by hand.

The making of mud mortar brings to mind the supply of water. The closest source of water today, a natural spring, is a half mile away and some three hundred and thirty feet below the Upper Ruins in Cholla Canyon. However, without a doubt there was water located in closer proximity during the period of Salado occupation. A sump was discovered during archaeological excavations in one of the rooms of the Lower Ruins Annex, situated along the mountain ledge some few feet south of the Lower Ruins proper. It is the belief of the author that if there was no water present within safe distance of the ruins that the Indians would not have constructed their homes within the caves. To have done so without water nearby would have brought about possible destruction to these people in the event of an attack by unfriendly neighbors or nomadic war-like tribes. It would have been a simple matter, in such case, to cut off the cliff dwellers from their source of water for indefinite periods of time.

The Lower Ruins Annex is comprised of about a dozen dwelling and storage rooms, all of which are of the same construction as those of both the Lower and Upper Ruins. Though the Lower Ruins Annex is less well protected from the elements then the two main ruins, and is rapidly deteriorating, it has yielded many valuable archaeological finds during past excavations.

The Upper Ruins is considerably larger than the Lower Ruin, having some so rooms, some of which are on three levels. The mode of construction, material used, and artifacts and textiles recovered from the Upper Ruin are the same as those of the Lower Ruin and the Lower Ruin Annex, since all three were inhabited contemporaneously. The. Upper Ruin, however, is located another half mile beyond and some three hundred feet higher than the Lower Ruin, and is accessible only by ascent over steep slopes. Excavation and stabilization have only been completed partially in the Upper Ruin by the National Park Service, and it is therefore presently closed to the public.

The two chief dwellings at Tonto National Monument represent the highest development among the prehistoric people of this region of the Southwest. The Salado Indians were primarily a farming people, and cultivated crops of com, beans squash, and commu They also resorted to gathering in that which they supplemented their diet with wild berries, mesquite beans, various cactus fruits, nuts of various types, and other such products. Their meat diet consisted mainly of deer, wild turkey, antelope, rabbit, and other wild game.

Interesting to note is the fact that they cultivated cotron, which was known in the Southwest long before Columbus set foot upon this continent. It is probable that the cotton these people farmed was introduced into the Soutirwest directly from Mexico. Quantities of cotton sextiles, smade in a veriety of weaves and color combinations, were recovered here. Open work, diamond twilla, and gazie weaves were among the types made, and complex designs were woven with threads of blus, brown, black, red, and yellow. Also, a considerable quantity of excellent quality cloth of plain weave was made for common, everyday use.

The yacca provided the Salados with material for weaving sandals and mats, and the yacca leaf provided fiber which was shredded and spun meo cordage.

Ornaments were made of bone, turquoise, and a number of varieties of shell The shells were undoubtedly obtained through trade with tribes further south, who in turn secured the shells from the Golf of Lower California, several hundred miles to the southwest.

Their pottery exhibits a high degree of design and form, and the various color combinations of red, whinn, and black provide well-blended and well-balanced de signs. Coarse pottery, or plain ware for cooking and storage.nse, was found in quantity.

When the monmment area, a 1,120-acae are 50 azide by the Federal Government, there is a varied sbundance of flors and fame, common to the Lower Sotonin life zone. Largest of the plant life in the area is the Saguaro, with nine other species of cactus growing within the monument as well. Desert trees-the palo verde and mesquire-are in abundance. Cottonwood, backberry, sycamore, walnut, sad elder are found in the canyon bottom, while some janipar and moomain Imurel are seen in the higher reaches of the area. Flowering skrabs the ocoallo, jojoba, wild buckwheat, and species of sotol, yucca, and century plant-combine with spring Howers-globemallow, britzlebush, lupine, covena, Cali foraia poppy, and many others to lead majestic color to the terrai Tonto National Monument also has an abundance of wildlife and birdlife, boch of which are often seen by even the most casual visitor. White-tailed dear, bobcats, monutain lions, gray foxes, scriped skunks, javalines, ring-cailed cats, and cocton-tail rabbits are evidear. Bird life consists of the Gambel quail, white-winged dove, towhee, rock and cactus wren, American raven, red. tailed hawk, Arizona cardinal, Gila woodpecker, Arizona jay, various sparrows and hummingbirds, to mention bur a few.

Yes, this is Touto National Monumeur, old and colorful in history, yet young and majestic in spirit, fascination, and beauty. Because of its incamparable history, its roggedness, its beauty, and its fascination, Tonto National Monument was established by Presi dential Proclamation in 1907, by Fresident Theodore Roosevelt. Located on the scenic Apache Trail in Gila County, Tonto National Monoment is one of the areas of the National Park System administared by the National Park Service of the Department of the Intering.