Good stuff and thanks for the heads up!
I have worn out many a pair of boots exploring sites like this.
The sense of wonder produced is incredible.
Nearly 30 years ago my girlfriend and I were invited to look around on private
land
at some ruins in the hills just north of Cave Creek, AZ.. That area has been
inhabited for thousands of years as a water spring there runs year round.
An area not too terribly far from where I live that is now inhabited by the
ubiquitous red tile roofs of mansions. I believe that spring that comes up from
under Black Mountain was the site of the original stagecoach stop in these
here parts. I had a vague sense of unease all day. My gf had already been there
a 1/2 dozen times.
Items better left for expert examination were being collected by the owner
of the land to be sold on the black/gray market. Having read my share of
Tony Hillerman, I knew assholes like him were referred to as "thieves of
time." I wanted no part of assisting his actions and told him so. He made it
clear that he wished my gf had not brought me as he had a lot of money at
stake. Fucking felonious grave robber.
My sense of unease reached a peak when my gf, who felt what she was doing was
not only ok but completely grand, reached down and picked up a nearly
intact pot/bowl. Broken but whole. The group of them carefully cleaned
it and became very quiet when it was found to contain what appeared to be
an intact fetus. I got a serious case of the willies and left, never to return.
My gf stayed, went back weekly, and made sure I knew she didn't appreciate
my moralizing. She tried to give me what appeared to me to be pre-columbian
shards but i told her to never bring them around me and keep them the fuck
outta my home.
An odd and tragic, in a sense, thing happened about a month to six weeks later.
My gf was rushed to the hospital due to severe abdominal pain and hemorrhaging.
She was found to be having a miscarriage of a tubular pregnancy. Her trauma was
exponentially increased by her feeling that it was a payback for her actions in
the hills above Cave Creek. Do you know the Buddhist sutta of the 2 Arrows?
Like that.
I'm not much of a woo-woo kinda cat, but I've rarely had the willies like I had
contemplating that whole thang.
Here is a good article about Range Creek:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/range_creek_ranch.html
http://goo.gl/KLLQJZ
I have done a considerable about of hiking in that part of the world but have
never
been there. Yet.
--- In [email protected], turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> If you're at all interested in archeology, or have spent time exploring
> the ancient (12th-13th century) Native American sites of America, you
> might find this 26-minute Scientific American special about Range Creek.
> It's the largest, most pristine (undisturbed by looters or tourists)
> site ever found in North America.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQnbgEGek1c&feature=share
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQnbgEGek1c&feature=share>
>
