Author: Paul R. Machula
THE SALADO PEOPLE
Besh-ba-gowah (“metal camp” in Apache)
The Salado culture flourished from about 1150 to 1450 A.D. This part of Arizona is literally studded with their ruins. However, only a few have been preserved well enough to recognize their original appearance.
Besh-ba-gowah (“metal camp” in Apache) is a restored pueblo located about one mile south of Globe, in the foothills of the Pinal Mountains. Restored about ten years ago, Besh-ba-gowah is rapidly becoming a favorite tourist attraction. A beautiful museum is located at the site, and archaeologists often allow visitors to participate in archaeological excavations.
Another Salado pueblo is located about twenty miles north of Globe, near Roosevelt Lake. This ruin is not restored, but is a preserved original. This pueblo was designated a national monument in the early part of the 20th century. The ruins are known as “Tonto National Monument” and are well-worth anyone’s visit.
Di Peso, Charles, Sobaípuri Indians of the Upper San Pedro Valley, Southeastern Arizona. Dragoon: Amerind Foundation, 1953
Hohmann, John W. and Linda B. Kelley. Erich F. Schmidt’s Investigations of Salado Sites in Central Arizona: The Mrs. W. B. Thompson Archaeological Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History. Contributions by David R. Wilcox, Alan Ferg, David C. Eshbaugh. Flagstaff: Museum of Northern Arizona Press, 1988.
McGregor, John C. Southwestern Archaeology. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 1965.
Reid, J. Jefferson and David E. Doyel, eds. Emily Haury’s Prehistory of the American Southwest. Tucson: Univ. of Arizona Press, 1986.
Other Sites To Explore
http://www.nps.gov/cagr Site about the Casa Grande Hohokam/Salado ruin.
http://www.nps.gov/tont Site about the famous Tonto National Monument–Salado ruins.