10/31 More Homolovi Ruins State Park

I love empty campgrounds where you can see forever.  This time of year is a great time to visit the Southwest because crowds are down and the weather is fantastic.  Today had a high of about 80, but there was a beautiful strong breeze that made it feel comfortable.  Here is my campsite--note the lack of neighbors. 

Mostly this time of year, you get a lot of older, retired people traveling, many of whom travel full or "most" time.

There are four ruin areas in this state park, but only two are open to the public.  These were very large Hopi Villages each with over a hundred rooms.  Here are some photos of Homolovi I:

There is not much left in terms of walls of these villages, but the ground is full of pottery shards and bits of flint left over from knapping points and tools.

People have picked up pottery shards and flint pieces and left them on rocks for others to enjoy.  Note the wide variety of colors and types of pottery.

One reason the Hopi chose this location was the Little Colorado River that passes nearby.  You cannot see the river here, but you can tell by the different vegetation that there is a river.

There has been a lot of archeological digging in this area and a small amount of reconstruction. 

People had piled up a lot of pottery on the top of this reconstructed wall.

I am holding a tiny, but very thin and sharp piece of chert or flint. 

Note the coils and basket pattern on many of the pieces on this rock. 

If you blindfolded yourself and bent over and picked up a handful of "rocks" here, about 80% of them would be pottery and tool pieces.  Amazing.

It is about a two-mile drive to Homolovi II.  This area has paved walkways and is handicapped accessible. 

A small area here has also been reconstructed.

This is what "out in the middle of nowhere" looks like.  Note, however, that the village is the highest place around, so the Hope could easily see someone coming, literally for miles away.

 
A square kiva that was partially reconstructed after being damaged by people digging for treasure decades ago.

You can see a bit of the Little Colorado River here.  There must have been considerable agriculture in this area to support four large communities.

More pottery.