New Discoveries about the Cliff Dwellers of Central Arizona

In this Archaeology Cafe, Dr. Todd Bostwick presented "New Discoveries about the Cliff Dwellers of Central Arizona: A Window into Pueblo Life 800 Years Ago in the Verde Valley."
Recent analysis of more than 25,000 artifacts collected from a little-known cliff dwelling located north of Montezuma Castle National Monument has provided a wealth of new information about the Sinagua culture of central Arizona. These materials include well-preserved wooden artifacts, beautifully colored cotton textiles, and plant remains that are in such remarkable condition they look like they were left behind yesterday. Photographs of this rare collection of archaeological materials will be shown and what they tell us about the people who lived along the Verde River will be discussed.
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View upcoming Archaeology Café presentations at: www.archaeologysouthwest.org/...

[@onenewworldmonkey]

I'm only 5 years late. My area of interest for many decades is in archery and I thought I could say a few things that may be of interest. The reason an owl feather was used as fletching is because they make almost no noise. I would like to know if the fore shafts were fire hardened. As for the bow string material there was a great deal of variation. I have one with a "gut" string made from intestine but sinew was the most popular, mostly from the back. Here in the east, they often would use a turtle's neck cut round, as in a spiral. A shorter bow puts more stress on the limbs but the tips spring back faster which makes the arrow faster. Often these short bows must be reinforced with sinew appearing in a brick work pattern. The Turks made a "composite" bow which shot an arrow so far that we couldn't produce such a distance until the 70s. In other words, we had men on the moon but couldn't produce a bow as good as the Turks. Sometimes when an Indian child died, they put a child's bow with him when buried.

[@lonhodowal8779]

Beautiful, respectful and intriguing lecture. I’m grateful.

[@6ixtymiles]

Wow... What a rich trove of organic artifacts; allows such a rare insight into the material culture and lifeways of this culture. ¡Bravo!

[@smileawhile3788]

Finally KZbin recommended a real treat. Fascinating presentation. Thank you so much

[@Laserblade]

That was excellent. I leave with a much deeper appreciation of the culture thanks to Dr. Bostwick. Thank you.

[@arcitejack]

Knocked it out of the park on this one AS. Jaw dropping presentation with beautiful photographs.

[@rickb5946]

Great talk! thanks Dr. Bostwick for bringing this collection out of the basement!.

[@GrandmaBev64]

With all that stuff left behind, they must have left in a hurry. Great presentation. I learned a lot. Thank You

[@maryp7694]

They left because the roof caved in. Leaving many artifacts buried underneath and preserved.

[@Zaroffmom]

Great to see the pictures of the artifacts in such detail. Thank you

[@redcruben]

Great talk, wonderful items form the excavation, unbelievable preservation

[@WmArthur]

Simply Amazing! I've never seen these items before. I wish I had known about more of these sites when I lived there. Thank You!

[@mjungwir]

One of the best lectures that I have seen in a while. Really interesting dive into the material culture of a really interesting culture. Thank you!

[@johnberryhill8106]

Incredible!.......I could not stop watching......

[@BabyMoroMou]

Excellent information and beautiful visuals. THANK YOU

[@EberHampton]

Wonderful, thank you

[@catherinepoloynis]

What a fascinating lecture!

[@alonzowitt5931]

Fascinating

[@timtrainor9720]

Amazing, ty.

[@aquariafreshwaterfishrescu687]

I found poetry shreds like this in illinois

[@jerkhardly4993]

Wow!!! Thank you so much for putting in the work that goes into everything that you know about this site

[@dianespears6057]

Thank you. An excellent presentation.

[@jpokeefe8122]

Old realizations, new discoveries, keep it up! 👍🏽👍🏽

[@raywalker9218]

Very interesting presentation. two thumbs up!

[@erichbrewer6403]

The bigger corn cobs were quite possibly just the biggest that grew. In other words, they kept them for seed corn.

[@danielwalbridge1406]

Nice work Diamond! I'm growing arugula outdoors. It's one hardy cool weather green. Survived a frost last night. Sprouting broccoli too. It sprouts nicely in cool weather.

[@jackland454]

Excellent presentation. Thank you very much.

[@stephenkessel1990]

Cliff dwellers in WV also amazing work they did

[@rodwoods2108]

Most Excellent!

[@elizabethstatom4456]

Loved this. Thank you.

[@chriscollins3840]

Simply amazing find! Congradulation!

[@GuitarisGreat1]

Incredible amount of info. Thanks!

[@steveb.2874]

I'm amazed at what was discovered and recovered but also sad at what has undoubtedly been lost to site robbers over the years. I have a greater appreciation for the ancient peoples that populated this continent prior to European invasion.

[@MELee-wz9gk]

What an incredible find and wonderful presentation! I look forward to the report.

[@chocolab3014]

Would so love to see that!

[@cindytappe6486]

Love history.

[@joycelaurito1726]

Thank you

[@Lugeix]

Could the seeds germinate? They had paint. Did they ever paint on the walls?

[@victorschepers6286]

From Holland, Great show nice that this all was founded and preserved there must be more in the USA

[@-oiiio-3993]

09:29 - Over nine thousand corn cobs? Well, to be fair, they didn't have the Sears Roebuck catalog for the privvy.

[@bobbyblair20]

Really enjoyed this put together well.

[@cohighcountry]

And why it wasn't scavenged over the many years

[@CHixon]

Wow. Highly skilled stone-age technology. Well-preserved, well excavated, and showed the extent of their trade. Red was a popular dye. Did not recognize the color wheel or the order of the rainbow.

[@jimihendrix991]

The 'stone-age' ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC... This cave system was occupied 1000-1300 AD, that is over 3000 years AFTER the end of the 'stone-age'...

[@sandrabeck8788]

What an interesting lecture!! I find myself wondering WHAT the archeologists were working on all those years, that they neglected this fascinating collection! Anyone have research indicating why these people would up and leave their tools etc?

[@victorschepers2124]

Thanks for all the info greetings from Holland🇳🇱

[@user-zc9ce6dd2v]

I’m going to be watching for information on the results of planting those seeds! An extinct date palm tree was brought back to life from ancient seeds found at an excavation site.

[@bettybowles1492]

This was an excellent presentation, thank you. I have a question concerning how and why this site was abandoned. I would assume, given all of the material data, that this was a rich and important site for the people living there. So why was it all just left behind. It was mentioned that maybe the site was left because the roof kept caving in. OK, I might choose a better house, but I would not leave a STORE full of goods in the rubble. They did. Also the fact that some weaving, bows, etc. were not finished persuades me that the people took off in a hurry and did not have a chance to return. I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter. thanks,

[@jeronimomod156]

You should carbon date the English walnuts just to be on the safe side

[@inharmonywithearth9982]

Pack Rats could have brought them in recently.

[@howardwhite1507]

Who left the site with usable stuff and never came back? Why?

[@ntmituniverse5850]

I really want to know if any ancient seeds were sprouted!

[@jackvoss5841]

Do we have any idea if there are similar - or identical - modern day varieties of corn, beans and squash? And do we have any idea of how they mixed or joined these foods for flavors and nutrition? Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@raindrop5273]

Incredible artifacts! Has the document for this site been published yet? Thanks.

[@jimspear3033]

Makers marks on arrows. The whole tribe contributed. Medium weight bow is made for reed arrows rather than full wood arrows. Shaft strength limits bow strength. In arizona black minerals can be radioactive. Check radiation levels.

[@smileawhile3788]

Is it possible the residents of the pics were sort of the 'elites' of a larger community but these had the most protected of dwellings?

[@coraleedennis8034]

This is wonderful! I kept wondering, though, why they left so much behind

[@maryp7694]

They left because the roof caved in. Covering many of their belongings.

[@lesmoody4427]

Climate change the area had higher precipitation.

[@JackHawkinswrites]

They could only take what they could carry. No pack animals and it was a long walk East, when they left.

[@jeffbybee5207]

Why were the arrowheads not shown please? Also have any of the seeds been grown? Thankyou

[@virginiajorgensen8614]

This is amazing. Are any of these on display somewhere

[@oldman6714]

With respect to the painted arrows, one possible reason they were painted differently would be to be able to identify each arrow quickly. Hand made arrows wouldn't perform uniformly, and might have different flight characteristics. In that case, knowing which arrow you were about to shoot would allow you to know how to aim the shot.

[@RRaucina]

Please plant some of those seeds. Not doing much good in a drawer. If that date palm in Israel can grow after a few thousand years so may your amaranth. Remarkable location and finds!

[@raywalker9218]

How do we know the owner of the arrow that made the kill received a larger portion? Assumption? Folklore?

[@nateo-ft4do]

Wonder if they could bring back the sacred corn

[@vatolocosforever803]

The maize still exist

[@jackvoss5841]

These foods had to have been sealed into clay vessels to keep out mice and bugs. Otherwise, the items would have disappeared centuries ago. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@kevinstandow2943]

Have a question and find this so interesting and always been intrigued with this topic and deplore anyone stealing or looting especially for profit, I am curious with the internet giving people that some have to be credible and some data I take in and am good at seeing facts develop, Have any of you ever found or seen or anything that may prove some validity to Sasquatch or what name the native Americans called this perhaps real being , Have any one you value their word had any knowledge or seen anything that may bring truth to this subject , You guys are out and doing what could bring visibility to this topic, I had as a kid seen a lot of artifacts that we left alone in caves and other areas as we were in our second home in Yosemite but outside the valley in a fairly remote area called Wawona , you would go up behind our place and up the Merced river and as the map showed nothing was up that way as modern man is concerned, Found so many cave drawing and beads and arrowheads that my dad was involved with a guy who was in the Forest Service so we let them be, That corn meant they were very knowledges on growing awesome corn and squash , Love digging and feel so alive when I work hard and discovering the ways of the past, Ate Pinyon nuts I love near Nevada and Utah where they meet and we’re tasty , That question on Bigfoot or whatever name I would love if you could let me know if you ever came across or heard things ? Sincerely Kevin Standow

[@rem1762]

The archaeologists are looters themselves. These arrogant looters won't even try to grow some of the seeds that were found in that cave.

[@billross1344]

Have any GPR studies ever been completed in and around Chaco and other Great House locations in the Southwest to determine of the cave system developed at Teotihuacan was also done in these other areas? They must have been aware of what was at Teotihuacan given the trade interactions and the teachings of the cave source of so many of the Tribes just seems to tie in. Just have never heard if this cross cultural exchange was ever looked at.

[@hennabri]

excellent point, thank you!

[@marlyjung4102]

Very interesting, love this lecture. I am surprised they found elk bone. Elk I thought was transplanted from the North just last century. It is nice now when horse bones are found they are no longer assumed to be Spanish and discarded but possibly native.

[@bigjimponder9183]

I think elk are endemic to the area, but were hunted to extinction in the 19th century. There cousins from Colorado were imported to the Grand Canyon after the originals were killed off.

[@bigjimponder9183]

Their cousins, not there

[@usmcmustang2972]

Elk were a plains animal originally. They love marshy lowland and wet areas. Ancient elk remains prove that they had long ivory tusks, for pulling roots and t7bers and long grasses from wetlands ... The lack of use of the ivories and change in diet over a thousand years, and pressure to seek safety, has driven elk into very remote areas with far different climates. However, as having been a life long elk hunter for over 45 years to date ... I can only tell you one thing for sure about Elk .... "Elk are where you find them" . Period.

[@rem1762]

People remember to leave anything at those ruins just like you found it, even if it's a gold bullion, unless you're an archaeologist, then you can steal it.

[@r.f.1channel75]

Can we find out more about the quids?

[@TheRobertsonsrus]

Were the items sealed in the cist or buried? Is this where items were "retired" when no longer needed? Last question... it is now 2021, has the report been completed/published?

[@FredricElias-oh2sn]

Is cotton native to the Americas? If not, when and how did it arrive?

[@Geckoyogaia]

Awesome & amazing. Would have loved to have seen the two dozen arrowhead projectile points mentioned. Why no pictures or style types of the arrow points classified baffles me. That's pretty important in my opinion. We're any from Paleo times to more modern transitions?.?

[@Geckoyogaia]

Possibly could have dated the use of the site thousands of years older had the two dozen arrowheads been classified properly...

[@lenwenzel7440]

Was there any signs of vacuume food storage. I've heard small chambers sealed with clay while a fire inside burned while creating smoke, and a partial vacuum which would preserve the food in the chamber

[@joekerby6330]

I was looking for conjecture for why they built on cliffs all over the South West....was it climate, like a lot of rain...etc.?

[@dubthedirector]

They named the “green” valley the Blue Valley, because of the salt? Ok

[@davidanderson8778]

Where did they get the cotton?

[@dominiceast3641]

Many tribes grew the cotton in these times

[@charliebotello2814]

Awesome lecture, are these artifacts found on public land?

[@JackHawkinswrites]

No, it is on private property, which is why it was preserved

[@WalkinBeauty278]

The belief that every thing used carries within something of the interaction...if such reverence for things spiritual were still around...we would not be facing the 6th extinction

[@shloomyshloms]

maybe the arrows were all made different because it was a shared armory.

[@catlinboy]

I have a question, the presenter says that providing a drawing rather than a photograph of an item found in relation to a burial is the proper way to represent the item. I'm from the UK and have never come across this custom. Is this specific to archaelogy in north america? Or is it perhaps specific to the ancient cultures of the Americas? No judgement, i'm just looking to understand.

[@ArchaeologySouthwest]

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 brought about a cascade of changes in North American archaeology and museum practice. Some Tribes allow illustration of funerary objects, but not photography.

[@catlinboy]

Thank you for your help!

[@MrTechmoore]

the native Americans tribes think all the people who lived there before them, no matter how many thousands of years prior to their own tribes are direct descendants. such foolishness has become more of an issue of political correctness instead of science the Natives lobbied and lobbied and lobbied until the government gave in. the Natives of North America freely admit to conquering other tribes, enslaving them, eradication, etc... that's quite a colonial thing to do... and as far as not allowing photographs, that's just the Natives flexing on the descendents of European conquerors using their own laws the Natives lobbied into courts. that's why the Natives are so arrogant and think they are special and unique in the world. this is a political mindset to "sick it to the man". what the Natives fail to realize is this: they are dying off one elder at a time and do not have the support of the youth, reject the support of non Natives, so are willingly let their culture die off. with the Repatriation acts, they really screwed up, because so far most of the burials predate historical occupation of the land. all of their oral traditions all across the board are stories of conquering each other, moving around etc. A 20000 year old cave contents "belonging "to paiute tribes, that through their own oral history state where from the people's that came before them, and the killed the people they encountered after migrating into Humboldt area of Nevada. the Natives here don't want the world to know they were colonial style conquers that committed acts of genocide. they don't want whites to know anything about them, to the point of their own self inflicted cultural extinction.

[@pinchevulpes]

@@MrTechmoore do you have sources for that racist jabber you went on about or do you just like go run your mouth when unwarranted? Or is your source of info Kennewick man that was proven to be a an ancestor of the same people who were there thousands of years later? lol I can’t wait for you not to reply to my Comment.

[@pinchevulpes]

@@MrTechmoore political correctness you mean archeological evidence? How does that pertain to the modern Pueblo in this regard at all when they have proven to be the descendants of the ancestral Pueblo? You’ve talked up a whole lot of nonsense that’s already been debunked. Instead you should be asking yourself why are you asking those questions? You sure do benefit if they ‘aren’t’ indigenous to the lands they claim right? it would make your takeover of their domain all the more justified if they were never really from the area in your eyes don’t it? funny how these Asinine theories are always proposed by white Europeans too. Lol

[@michaelsavard1144]

Carbon dating on english walnut shells?

[@tcromike77]

Arizona black walnut.

[@dubthedirector]

Bad audio, good content!

[@raywalker9218]

C=14 date on the English walnuts could be interesting unless they have inside info on their provenance. just saying....

[@tcromike77]

Arizona black walnut

[@RRaucina]

And why not blood as the red dye? What could be easier?

[@HeartsXoXd]

Blood turns brown and flakes off when dry. The area is just South of the red rock areas of which Sedona is well known. There are red rock quarries and dirt deposits just about 2 miles from the site. There is also a famous spring on the Dyke ranch called Soda Springs, the water bubbles like soda pop.

[@tboned70]

I'm from Arizona, I believe these people were from the South, Migrating up America,......

[@tcromike77]

Hopi claim Sinagua as ancestors

[@joeharris2074]

It seems this place was abandoned in a hurry if they left all this behind, even some weapons. Is there evidence of an invasion at this time?

[@patfrench6845]

Geology arizona

[@idiotburns]

3000 quid, its coulda been one guy at one time, who was gross?

[@downeastprimitiveskills7688]

His action of fire making suggest fire plow yet show hand drill or bow drill methods. Also, egalitarian hunter gatherers often didn't encourage the hunter, they didn't want the idea that he was a great hunter and placing him on a pedestal, so why make arrows that are specific to the hunter? It makes sense that the arrows were all different.

[@paulfelber19]

Don't agree about his actions. Clearly he was trying to show holding a stick between the palms, but his remote was in the way. Nor do I agree entirely about the arrows. If I was a hunter making my own arrows, I would definitely want to recover them. And if, as the presenter suggested, there was value to being the hunter who made the kill (extra portion), then I would surely want to be identified as the killer. However, in such a small community, there wouldn't be any need for my arrow decoration to be consistent. Everyone would know what each hunter's arrows looked like.

[@vondahartsock-oneil3343]

I beg to differ when he says in the first 6.5 mins that they didn't put any creativity or whatever into their construction sites. Look at the fit, seamless. Just like the actual cut stones in S. America, that you can't get a piece of paper thru. (figure of speech) I would alot that effect to settling and gravity over time, but still yet. These stones fit nicely together. Some THOUGHT went into that. I'm Native American and I watch and listen anyway, I learn a lot, but become skeptical on some things, just because but they always get something wrong. Then you wonder "what else is incorrect"?. There's one ruin with a sign out front of it that say something like "Who built it" "Why" "We may never know", uh...YES WE DO KNOW, ASK THE PEOPLE, says the TRIBAL HISTORIAN. They never ask the right people. You see. Even the official historian is constantly learning, just like the people then did. This is why there are "councils" so to speak. Couldn't think of a better word. You can talk to the tribal elder of one village, go another village down and speak to that tribal elder. You are going to get two diff. stories. The diff. IS, once you have all the pieces, you have the story. Imagine this tho: the populations pre-contact/contact, was larger than the current population of the USA. Which reminds me of something I recently heard something in a log book of some maybe French? IDK explorer (of the lands of the USA/Canada) I'm not sure if it was a Spanish or French team. Anyway, my point being, one of them wrote in their diary or logbook that they could hardly turn a tree without running into another village or tribe. T

[@mikecossette6420]

++++

[@michaelkaiser4674]

5X5 Datil nm usa

[@rogerallen1767]

they left in a hurry from the looks

[@davidyancey8743]

And the White Europeans called us SAVAGES

[@pauldaystar]

Those Are All Hopi Tribe, mislabeled on Purpose by Govt. Archeologists to Not Recognize HopiLand Claim

[@johnblount1685]

These guys lived in the cliffs to protect themselves from the red headed giant cannibals of Paiute legends. Lovelock cave giants. I think in Mesa Verde they found a room full of tossed bones showing clear signs of cannibalism. I think there have been found human coprolites showing cannibalism, something the Indians of today strongly deny. It wasn´t them. It was the red headed giants, already known to be cannibals. Gonna build my house way up there on that cliff where I can pull the ladder up behind me so me and the family can sleep at night.

[@colino5056]

Devils advocate: there was a Anasazi tribe that moved into the area. Their principle trade was slavery. They did engage in cannibalism. The Navajo called them “Giants” in reference to them being a sizable threat to their land and way of life.

[@user-yf8wq7jk5m]

It's not hopi

[@jeffburger2782]

Now they kick you out and bulldoze your home cause its not safe to live there....to the curb with ya

[@1cleblanc]

Genesis Chapter 1:26- 31: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Which is WHY Europeans consider the Earth in their charge... Therefore they worship the Creator, not the Creation.

[@lenwenzel7440]

You said he was a very busy archeologist who failed to write a very important site! I am going to differ with you about him being an archeologist. If he has a degree it must have been bought. No real archeologist should ever be so irresponsible, and unprofessional. He failed the very central idea of arceology. Any study he did was worthless. It may have well have been a ditch digger who excavated the site. Records of landscape, material structure and so many other things that we could learned were lost. The site still has unexplored features I hear so that along with the artifacts both present and future we still have much to learn from

[@mdh8448]

Should have left things alone not yours put it back.

[@romanshibilski7093]

Lol

[@michaecarney2626]

Are they related to the mesa verde prople?

[@CHixon]

Will the rightful owner please step forward?

[@mr.xblade]

What are waste of time and money... Who cares about any of that.. I think maybe we should be worried about what's coming not what's happened..