Desert Messenger

14 www.DesertMessenger.com July 17, 2013 ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS In the footsteps of the ancients By Jenn Jedidiah Free We're taking a break from rocks, gold, and prospecting this month. Yeah, really. We have been on the road, traveling, collecting rocks, finding gold, and generally exploring and having fun. Of all the things we were fortunate enough to experience this travel season, some of the most amazing ones were the pueblos of New Mexico. New Mexico isn't called the Land of Enchantment for nothing. The ancient history of New Mexico truly is enchanting. Some of the pueblos in New Mexico are ancient cliff dwellings long abandoned, but some of them, like Taos Pueblo and Acoma Sky City are over 1000 years old and still inhabited. Taos Pueblo and Acoma Sky City are easily accessible, while some of the others are more remote. Acoma Sky City Pueblo is located about 70 miles west of Albuquerque off of I40. At an altitude of 6460 feet, the high desert surrounding Acoma pueblo is a scenic area full of amazing rock formations and expansive views. The landscape is full of towering sandstone bluffs, and it is atop one of these bluffs, 367 feet in the above the desert floor, where the Pueblo of Acoma was built. The Acoma people have lived at the top of this mesa since 1150 AD, and several families still live either full time or part-time, without electricity, sewer, or running water, in the dwellings there. Many of the people who live on the mesa top make their liv- ing by creating and selling traditional crafts like pottery. Taos Pueblo is located just outside the City of Taos. The oldest buildings in the Pueblo were built between 1000 and 1450 AD. Approximately 150 people live full-time in the Pueblo. They live in dwellings without electricity, sewer, or the modern idea of running water. There is a river running through the center of Taos Pueblo, and one of the people said to me, "We have running water here, we have the river." At Taos pueblo, some of the people are craftspersons, while others sell food made fresh, and sometimes to order, in their homes. Off the beaten path north of Santa Fe is the absolutely gorgeous Bandelier National Monument. Here, the ruins of pueblos coexist with cliff dwellings built into natural crevises in the walls of Frijoles Canyon called cavates. The oldest structures date from 1150 AD. Twelve miles from the Frijoles Canyon area is the Tsankawi section. There are ruins of pueblos at the top of the mesa, and the mesa walls are lined with cavates some with multiple rooms in them. The most intriguing aspect of Tsankawi are the ruts, some two feet deep, of foottrails, steps and handholds, that wind throughout the mesa, worn into the soft sandstone by thousands of feet and hands traversing the same paths for hundreds of years. It is truly an experience to travel these same paths while visiting these ancient dwellings. ����� | S������ �� D����� M�������� Quartzsite fireman Prentice Taylor promoted Quartzsite Fire Chief Kevin Hess (above left) presents Captain's Badge and Double Bugles to newly promoted Captain Prentice Taylor (above right). Taylor was hired by the Quartzsite Fire District in August of 2007 as a Firefighter EMT. He has worked his way up through the ranks serving roughly three and one half years as a Firefighter/EMT, then two years as an EMT/Lieutenant and has now been promoted to the position of "A" Shift Captain/Paramedic. Chief Hess said, "We would like to wish our newest captain the best in his new mission. Congratulations Captain Taylor!" Visiting the pueblos is refreshing to the soul. At the top of the mesa in Acoma, at the base of the mountain in Taos, within the bosom of Frijoles canyon it is quiet. It is ancient and sacred. There is a peace there that is not found in the modern world. When walking in the footsteps of the ancients, the stresses and problems of life fade away, and the spirit is rejuvenated. The land, the sky, the rocks, the plants, the birds and animals all speak to one's soul. We need only to slow down enough to hear what they have to say. Sit in a cavate and look out over the desert or the canyon. Find a quiet spot along the river in Taos Pueblo and admire the mountain. Climb down the ancient stairway from the mesa top at Acoma, holding onto handholds carved by the ancient ones. As we walk in the footsteps of the ancients, our spirits will follow. We will find a new connection to the earth. And after all, isn't that why we love rocks? For more photos and information about the pueblos and links to their sites, go to our Blog "Adventures With Rocks". Access the Blog through the Media tab on the top toolbar of our website www.RocksInMyHead.com. While you are there, check out our selection of books as well as Native American Crafts and artifacts. We will be open again in Quartzsite in November at A37 in Rice Ranch, but until then you can order by phone or email at 605-376-9875 or Jenn@RocksInMyHead.biz. Thanks for your business this winter, and have a great summer. And don't forget, Life is Short! Go Outside and Play. See ya in the fall! Desert Messenger E-edition www.MyQuartzsite.com

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