Gila Cliff Dwellings

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior National Monument New Mexico People of the Upper Gila River More questions than answers surround the story of people who built structures in natural caves of Cliff Dweller Canyon. Archeological evidence suggests that many different groups of people have inhabited this area over thousands of years. What motivated one group to build inside the caves between the late 1270s and 1300? And why was their stay so short? UNIVERSITY OF N E W M E X I C O A unique style of black-on-white pottery bowl (above) from the Mimbres branch of the Mogollon culture was common to this area during the classic Mimbres phase (1100 to 1150). The designs and details of most pottery found in the cliff dwellings are unique to the Tularosa phase (1100 to 1300). With the pottery as just one clue, archeologists believe the Gila Cliff Dwellers came here from near the Tularosa River, 60 miles north of the national monument. The Mogollon were not the only group to have lived in this area. As mobile hunter-gatherers following herds of game through the ** Gila River valley, the Apaches \ left behind artifacts like this bow and these arrows (below) fashioned from materials abundant in this area. NPS NPS The Mogollon The people who built the cliff dwellings were part of the Mogollon (mo-go-yon) culture. They combined hunting and gathering with farming and traditionally built pit houses or surface pueblos in the mountainous areas of Arizona and New Mexico. The Mogollon found abundant game and fertile soil in the Gila River valley for both native vegetation and their crops of corn, beans, and squash. Breaking with tradition, the Tularosa Mogollon built inside the caves of Cliff Dweller Canyon with rock, mortar, and timbers from trees cut between 1276 and 1287. But by 1300 the Gila Cliff Dwellers had moved on. Approximately 40 rooms were built inside several natural caves in Cliff Dweller Canyon. Artifacts and architectural elements show that these ancient cultures traded not only materials but ideas. The Gila Cliff Dwellers left behind macaw feathers from Central America, and they built T-shaped doorways (above photo) also used by other cultural groups. With cultivated crops like corn came a more sedentary life. Perhaps in time the area's natural resources, already affected by drought, no longer sustained the Mogollon. The Chiricahua Apache After the Mogoiion ieft, no one appears to have iived in this area for over 100 years. Apaches migrated to the upper Gila River about 1500, although some of their oral traditions claim it has always been their homeland. Legendary leader Geronimo was born near the Gila River headwaters in the early 1820s as Mexico challenged Apache control of the area. Thirty years later, with the area under U.S. control, army posts were built to protect new Anglo settlers as area mining towns grew and ranching was established throughout the Gila River valley. By 1870 the federal government began relocating the Apaches onto reservations. But not until September 1886 were the last Be-don-ko-he—as Geronimo's people were known—led by Geronimo himself, ultimately forced from their ancestral lands. Apache leader Goyahkla, known as Geronimo NPS/ANTHONY HOWELL N A T I O N A L A N T H R O P O L O G I C A L A R C H I V E S , S M I T H S O N I A N INSTITUTION Exploring the Cliff Dwellings and Wilderness LEFT: SILVER CITY MUSEUM From Early Settlement to the Gila Wilderness Led by Juan de Onate, Spanish colonists settled east and south of this area in 1598. The Spanish stayed close to main travel routes and the Rio Grande valley and by the early 1800s had not penetrated the Gila River country as far as these cliff dwellings. After an 1878 prospecting trip, miner H.B. Ailman documented the cliff dwellings. When archeologist Adolph Bandeliercame here in 1884, the cliff dwellings had been looted by earlier visitors. They took many artifacts and obliterated much of the archeological record. In 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the national monument t o prevent further damage and vandalism. Settlement of this region by miners and ranchers (above left) accelerated after the Apache Wars ended in 1886. Boom towns for mining, like Pinos Altos and Mogollon, cropped up. Ranchers homesteaded the land for raising cattle and sheep. Forests of the highcountry began t o be cut for timber. Across the United States wild lands were disappearing fast. Many people wondered how our wilderness heritage could be preserved. The pioneering ecologist Aldo Leopold (right) was assistant district forester for the Southwest national forests early in his career. He convinced his agency t o establish the Gila Wilderness in 1924, the nation's first designated wilderness area. Now the Gila Wilderness protects the upper Gila River watershed (above). This is the longest undammed stretch of river in the contiguous 48 RIGHT: ©LAURENCE PARENT states. Leopold's vision helped inspire the 1964 Wilderness Act that now preserves the wildness of over 100 million acres of federal public lands. 9 j 11 Planning Your Visit Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument lies 44 miles north of Silver City on NM 15. Allow two hours driving time. No public transportation serves this area. Stop first at the multiagency Gila Visitor Center for information, exhibits, a short film, and bookstore. Staff will answer questions and help plan your visit. Parking for the cliff dwellings is at the trailhead (see large map), a two-mile drive from the visitor center. Cliff Dwellings Trail The one-mile loop trail to and through the cliff dwellings climbs 180 feet above the canyon floor. Allow one hour round-trip. Views of the cliff dwellings are possible after a 'A-mile hike in the canyon bottom. The trail that continues to the dwellings is steep and rocky in places. Wear sturdy shoes, pace yourself (use the benches), and take water. Find information about guided tours and programs at the trailhead, visitor center, or Monument website. The short Trail to the Past from Lower Scorpion Campground leads to a small dwelling and pictograph panel. Safety and Regulations All plants, animals, artifacts, and structures are protected by federal law. Please enjoy the natural and cultural "resources while staying on the trail at all times.Tor the safety of others, do not throw or roll rocks, into the canyon. Watch children closely. Food, drinks other than water, tobacco products, and pets are not permitted on the trail. Free kennels are available at the contact station. Hours and Fees The Monument is open daily, but the visitor center is closed December 25 and January 1. Contact the Monument or its website for visitor center and cliff dwellings trail hours of operation. Note: New Mexico is in the Mountain Time zone and observes daylight saving time, while Arizona does not observe daylight saving time. Fees Fees are collected (exact change required) at the trailhead's self-pay station. Contact the Monument for admission fee information. The federal park passes are accepted at the trailhead and sold at the visitor center. Area Information The 533-acre national monument is surrounded by the 558,000-acre Gila Wilderness, part of 3.3 million acres of public forest and range land within the Gila National Forest. Campgrounds and picnic areas are available on national forest lands throughout the valley. Lodging, an RV campground, and basic food items are available in Gila Hot Springs, four miles from the Monument. More Information National Park Service, Gila Visitor Center HC 68 Box 100, Silver City, NM 88061-0100 575-536-9461, www.nps.gov/gicl Forest Service, Wilderness Ranger District HC 68 Box 50, Mimbres, NM 88049 575-536-2250, www.fs.fed.us/r3/gila Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is one of over 390 parks in the National Park System. Visit www.nps.gov to learn more about parks and National Park Service programs in America's communities. AGPO:2009—349-224/80317 Reprint 2008 Printed on recycled paper.