In the footsteps of the Anastazi / Anasazi
CHAPTER 11

                 "scenes from the Rio Cuervo in New Mexico"




CHAPTER 11




Well my partners are all busy. Greg is riding his new horse and Mike is rock hunting in north Texas. It's a great Sunday the spring weather has broken and I am bound to explore. The picture above is the entry to what we call the badlands. This area has two know Anastazi areas in the basin and a sky village up on Fillippe mesa. This badland area use to be "drive thru" area. On one occasion we stopped to find once again.... Its all here! I am going to an area I call coyote rock. Its been in snow for the last six months and not a safe place to climb. Take a look at the picture of coyote rock. This looks like a coyote sitting next to the rock on the ledge.

The canyon I am exploring alone is deep with two water falls at the end. To me it is obvious that they would use this area because of the ponds and creeks created by the falls.
You can see the fall at the end and if you look close you can see something else. I made my way through the cholla field to get a closer view of the rocks Ahead.
These type of canyon walls are great for ammonites and other fossils. The erosion here is dramatic. Large quantities of water use to be in this area. I could now see the primitive hunting blind just ahead of me. It was in a perfect location. All animals in the area would come past this blind making their way to the water holes at the end of the canyon.
The hunter had completed the rock walls with boulders the size of basket balls. I do not know if this structure had a roof of vigas or not. It is well suited for a roof and provides a large area of protection. Was the original builder the Anastazi or a cowboy? I don't know for sure. It looks a lot like the original Anastazi blind near the main village located about 4 miles from this spot. I think it is Anastazi and could used by everyone after them. I found no sign of modern use at all. This leads me to believe it is just Anastazi.

This is a unique place as there are no signs of later use at all. I decided to spend more than my normal 5 minutes at the location and to attempt to look close. I found a partial ammonite. One piece of worked obsidian. Then I noticed a very colorful segment of pottery. I had not found one with these type of designs or colors. Red, cream, and black. The design is quite complex. I then turned up a horn or tooth of some kind. It has a outer coating of bone or scale and the tip is broken. I could see it in use as a knife or dagger at some time. I plotted the aim and shot of an arrow or spear and went to the spot where the creeks crossed in front of the blind. There I found the end of a rose quartz point.
The next point I found is the strangest I have seen. Mind you I have not seen that many. It has about 200 chip marks and makes a 2.5" point. The difference is that it is not a typical blade point. It is diamond shaped cutting edge for about 2" then broadens out to fit a shank or shaft. It reminds me of a gig point that is used for frogs or fish. If anyone knows about this point please email me and give me some input. (THANKS TO THE INPUT WE KNOW IT IS A DRILL)
The ammonites bleed out of large clay balls in the sides of the canyon walls. I have many specimen of the ball broken revealing the ammonite inside.
There is a large cave just behind and across from the blind.
Lots of critters around the area.
On the way out of the area I stopped at an open area with about 7 foundations around the area. I call this area the settlement as there are many signs of cowboys and tin cans. Most of the blocks came from an Anastazi building a half mile away near a water run off area.
Near one of the foundations there are what seems to be two graves.


You can bearly make out the Anastazi building near the cowboy round up pen.
All and All it was a great day. For six hours I did not see a person. What I did see were lots of people layered over each other for thousands of years. They all had the same primal attractions: Find food, Find water, make shelter near by. Using this formula I know how to find them again.




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anastazi@riorancho.com

THE AMMONITES WE FIND
COMING SOON THE ANIMALS, SCENERY, POTTERY, FOSSILS...
copyright 2000/2001 Chuck Dawson Corrales NM
 

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