People of the Painted Desert & Petrified Forest – Legends of America
The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona, a landscape of stark beauty and ancient secrets, holds within its colorful layers a rich tapestry of human history. From the earliest nomadic hunter-gatherers to the Ancestral Puebloans who built thriving communities, and finally to the European explorers and American settlers, the region has been a stage for human adaptation, innovation, and resilience.
The Paleo-Indian Era: Echoes of the First Americans (13,500 to 8,000 B.C.)
The story begins with the Paleo-Indians, the "ancient people," who first arrived in this region between 13,500 and 8,000 B.C. These were the descendants of the first migrants to the Americas, who crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia to Alaska during the last Ice Age when sea levels were significantly lower. As the glaciers retreated, these nomadic groups ventured southward, following the Pacific coast or traversing the ice-free corridor east of the Rocky Mountains.
During this era, the environment of the Southwest was cooler and characterized by vast grasslands. The Paleo-Indians were hunter-gatherers, relying on wild plants and the pursuit of large game, including now-extinct species of bison. Their hunting technology included the atlatl, a spear-throwing device that increased the range and power of their projectiles. Distinctive fluted projectile points, characteristic of the Clovis and Folsom cultures, have been unearthed within the Petrified Forest National Park, crafted from the very petrified wood that defines the landscape. These artifacts offer tangible evidence of the Paleo-Indians’ presence and their ingenuity in adapting to their environment.
The Archaic Period: Adapting to a Changing World (8,000 to 500 B.C.)
Following the Paleo-Indian era, the Archaic period (8,000 to 500 B.C.) witnessed significant environmental and cultural shifts. The climate gradually warmed, resembling the arid conditions of today, and the monsoon pattern of precipitation emerged. As many of the large Ice Age mammals disappeared, the Archaic people broadened their diet to include a wider variety of plants and animals. This adaptation led to a transition from a purely nomadic existence to a more sedentary, agricultural way of life.
The Basketmaker Era: Seeds of Agriculture and Innovation (500 B.C. to 650 A.D.)
Around 500 B.C., the Basketmaker culture emerged, marking a pivotal period of innovation and settlement. These people were less nomadic than their predecessors, establishing more permanent settlements in stone-lined pit houses. Over time, settlements shifted from mesa tops and dunes to slopes closer to arable land. Agriculture became increasingly important, with the cultivation of corn, squash, and eventually beans. The Basketmakers were skilled artisans, crafting beautiful baskets and distinctive Adamana Brown pottery. Their toolkits expanded, and the introduction of the bow and arrow around A.D. 500 revolutionized hunting. The Basketmaker people left their mark on the landscape through petroglyphs, rock art depicting humans, animals, and abstract symbols.
By approximately 650 A.D., above-ground architecture began to evolve from storage facilities to dwellings. However, this period was not without its challenges. A severe drought between 850 and 900 A.D. placed significant stress on the Basketmaker communities, underscoring their vulnerability to environmental fluctuations.
The Ancestral Puebloans: Building Communities and a Lasting Legacy (950 to 1450 A.D.)
The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, arrived in the region around 950 A.D., ushering in a period of cultural flourishing and architectural innovation. Although the climate was generally similar to the present, a prolonged drought from 1271 to 1296 A.D. tested the resilience of these communities. While some people continued to live in pit houses, above-ground rooms became increasingly prevalent. Subterranean ceremonial chambers called kivas were introduced, and settlements spread across the landscape. Homes evolved into multi-story pueblos, reflecting a growing population and a more complex social structure.
The Ancestral Puebloans were skilled potters, producing corrugated, Black-on-Red, and polychrome pottery. Their tools included manos and metates for grinding corn, as well as projectile points and scrapers made from petrified wood and obsidian. Artifacts discovered in the Petrified Forest National Park link these sites to other Ancestral Puebloan settlements, such as Wupatki near Flagstaff, the Hopi Mesas, the Zuni, and sites in the White Mountains. Many petroglyphs were created throughout the Little Colorado River Valley, including sophisticated solar markers that tracked the changing seasons.
After the severe drought of the late 13th century, environmental changes, including longer winters and shorter growing seasons, further strained the Ancestral Puebloan communities. By 1300 A.D., the Kachina belief system became widespread, as evidenced by images of Kachinas in petroglyphs, pictographs, and kiva murals. Polychrome pottery became more elaborate, and Glaze-on-Red pottery was introduced. Piki stones, used for making piki bread, became common. The toolkits of this period included small, triangular projectile points. The population began to concentrate into larger communities, with over a hundred rooms, kivas, and plazas located along major drainages or near springs. By the end of this era, around 1450 A.D., the Petrified Forest area appears to have been largely depopulated, although the region continued to serve as a travel corridor and a source of resources.
European Exploration and American Settlement: A New Chapter Begins (16th Century to Present)
By the time European explorers arrived in the 16th century, the ancient villages of the Ancestral Puebloans had been abandoned. Spanish conquistadors named the area El Desierto Pintado, meaning "Painted Desert," but they did not establish permanent settlements, focusing instead on finding routes between their colonies along the Rio Grande and the Pacific Coast. Spanish inscriptions from the late 1800s have been discovered within the Petrified Forest National Park, left by descendants of some of the earliest non-Native American settlers in the region.
Exploration continued after the Southwest became part of the U.S. territories in the mid-1800s. In 1853, U.S. Army Lieutenant Amiel Whipple, while surveying a route along the 35th Parallel, was struck by the abundance of petrified wood in the red badlands of the Painted Desert. He named the broad sandy wash Lithodendron Creek ("stone tree"), which bisects the Wilderness Area of the park today. Whipple’s expedition provided the first published account of the petrified wood in what would become Petrified Forest National Park.
Following Whipple’s expedition, E. F. Beale, an experienced explorer, was hired by the U.S. Government to build a wagon road along the 35th Parallel. Between 1857 and 1860, Beale made several trips from his ranch at Fort Tejon, California, building and improving the road. On his first journey, Beale conducted a government experiment in desert transport using camels and their drivers. While Beale believed in the value of camels, the government deemed the experiment a failure. The wagon road, however, remains visible in spots across the Southwest and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the late 1800s, settlers and private stage companies followed this ancient corridor. Homesteaders established ranches, taking advantage of the rich grasslands. In 1884, the Holbrook Times noted the significant changes occurring in the northern portion of the territory, with thousands of cattle, horses, and sheep grazing on the plains. Cattle grazing continued in the Petrified Forest until the mid-20th century, and ranches remain some of the park’s best neighbors.
Conservationist John Muir explored the Petrified Forest in 1904 and 1905, and on December 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Petrified Forest National Monument, recognizing the unique geological and cultural significance of the area.
Today, the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest stand as a testament to the long and complex relationship between humans and the environment. From the Paleo-Indians to modern-day visitors, people have been drawn to this remarkable landscape, leaving their mark on its colorful layers. The stories etched in stone, pottery, and petroglyphs offer a glimpse into the lives of those who came before, reminding us of the enduring power of adaptation, innovation, and resilience in the face of change.