We learned that the Sinagua women were the builders of these cliff
dwellings. They made use of the natural caves formed by nature in the
limestone. Walls were built by mortaring more limestone with clay and then
plastering over the surface of the wall with the same clay substance. Today,
large sections of these walls still stand. Because the cliff dwellings are
built into the walls of the canyon, and the path is just outside of the
dwellings, we are able to stand right inside the ancient homes.
Smoke deposits from cooking fires hundreds of years ago are still visible on
the upper surfaces of the caves. The dwellings are fairly small compared to our
modern abodes, but several contain multiple rooms, sectioned by clay and
limestone walls with doorways in between. Most of the dwellings lay on the
south and east sections of the island, probably for maximum passive solar
intake.
As we make our way around the island rim trail, we notice that there are
other cliff dwellings carved out of the facing canyon walls. We wonder how the
Sinagua people were able to carry water up from the canyon floor, approximately
170 feet below our trail. Today, Walnut Creek
is just a creek, but we are told that in the time of the Sinagua, it was much
more river like, but still did not flow year round, meaning that they had to
store water for winter use.
As we wondered around the island, I was struck with the enormous history of
the place. It amazes me that people were able to survive and prosper in such
rugged country with no modern gadgets and tools. I learned that the Sinagua
were farmers, as well as hunters. They grew dry land crops like corn, beans and
squash up above the island on the rim. They conserved water for their crops by
building check dams and terraces.
After rounding the final curve of the island, we began our ascent up the 240
stairs, which was a bit of challenge for the slightly out of shape, like
myself. Fortunately, there are several nice places to stop along the climb and
sit on a bench or just look out over the landscape.