We had Tuzigoot National Monument on our agenda, since we missed visiting it the last time we were in the area. It’s another of the ruins of pueblos of southwestern native Americans, built on a rise overlooking the Verde River valley. This gave the inhabitants a high vantage point to stay in touch with what was happening around them. It also gave them access to the (relatively) fertile farmland and reliable water source provided by the river and some springs.
This site was most interesting for its museum. Eye catching displays of puebloan artifacts, especially large pottery jars, dominate the room. The interpretation of these ruins and their study incorporates both traditional knowledge offered by Native American consultants and the findings of archeologists who have studied the area. One point made is that there was never a people called the “Sinagua;” this is a designation applied by modern archeologists and anthropologists.
The pueblo itself is pretty much completely reconstructed. One difference from other pueblos we have seen is that the walls were made of whatever shaped stones were found here rather than being constructed of flat brick-like stones. We walked the short interpretive rim trail also. It provides views of the marshland below, which is where the pueblo peoples farmed and hunted.
We went on to the nearby town of Clarkvdale, where we found a very nice city park for our picnic lunch. It was really hot in the sun, but the picnic table in the shade of some large trees was quite comfortable. We walked around some of the historic district, reading the many historical kiosks and learning a lot about the origins of the town. It was once a company town, but one that aspired to being a planned and beautiful community. Many of the homes are in the bungalow or Craftsman style.
The town got its name from its founder, William Clark, who opened the huge copper mines in the area. We also visited the Copper Art Museum, located in the old Clarkdale high school building. It houses room after room of copper artifacts, ranging from the utilitarian to the artistic and sometimes incorporating elements of both. The tour is self-guided, as you are encouraged to follow the copper footprints on the floor. The person who collected fees also circulated around the rooms answering questions.
One room that really impressed us was lined floor to ceiling with military art, mainly artistic re-purposing of copper shell casings. Another room featured hammered copper ceiling panels. We learned that copper is antimicrobial. It has been suggested that making hospital door handles and other fixtures of copper alloys would substantially cut down on hospital acquired infections. For example, 90% of MRSA viruses are killed within a short time on copper, but remain active on stainless steel.
Tonight we hiked the Mesa Trail on the hill overlooking the Red-Tailed Hawk loop of the campground. At least we started from a trailhead that indicated the Mesa Trail. We encountered so many unmarked side trails that it was really impossible to be sure of staying on the main trail, which was mostly no wider than the side trails. While we were up on the mesa we watched a spectacular sunset lighting up the western sky and turning the smoke from the Slide wildfire a luminous red.
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