“These canyons housed one of the great centers of the Anasazi, or Basket Maker, civilization,” the Ranger was explaining. “During the first several centuries of what we call the Christian era, Basket Makers occupied the whole drainage basin of the San Juan River. In addition to baskets, they made fine pottery and woven sandals, but they used dart throwers instead of the later bows and arrows. They built peculiar circular homes with floors sunk a foot or more into the ground. You’ll see one of those tomorrow when you visit Mummy Cave.
“When the Basket Makers vanished early in the eighth century, Pueblo Indians occupied the canyons. They built many-storied cliff dwellings over the old caves. They were farmers, but they also made beautiful pottery, cloth, stone tools, and ornaments of copper and gold.
“Coronado, the Spanish Conquistador, may have been looking for this place when he came up from Mexico in 1540 to search for the fabulous riches of El Dorado and the Seven Cities of Cibola. He never found anything but thirst and death.”
“Were the Pueblos and Basket Makers related?” someone asked.
“Yes, they were both Shoshones, like the modern Hopis,” answered the Ranger as he threw more wood on the fire.
“More distinguished ancestors for us Utes,” Ralph whispered to Sandy.
“Seven or eight centuries ago,” the Ranger went on, “the Pueblos grouped their cliff dwellings into large ‘apartment houses’ situated on sites that could easily be defended. Tomorrow you’ll visit White House, Antelope House, and Standing Cow, which are their finest structures. Let me warn you, though, that only people accustomed to conditions in the canyons should drive cars into them. The spring rains are late this year. There is very grave danger from flash floods and quicksand. In past years, many covered wagons and other vehicles drove into the canyons, got caught in a sudden storm, and were never found. I suggest you rent a car and guide from the Thunderbird Ranch operator.”
“What became of the Pueblos?” a tourist asked in an awed voice.
“Nobody knows. Some people think a great drought hit this part of the country and they had to move to an area where there was more rainfall. Others believe that an enemy—possibly the fierce Aztecs—came up from Mexico and killed all the inhabitants. Terrible battles were fought here, we know, before the end. Sometimes Pueblo mummies with weapons still in their hands are found when a new cliff dwelling is explored. The Navajos say the whole place was deserted when they moved in, more than 200 years ago. Now, I want to tell you about the troubles that they had with the Spaniards and Kit Carson.”
“We’d better go to bed, I think,” Hall said to the others in his group. “Ralph knows a lot more about recent history than this fellow does. He’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”