Last updated: January 23, 2024
Place
Cave 2: Architecture Tells a Story
NPS/Sean Dupre'
Quick Facts
Location:
Gila Hot Springs
Significance:
Cliff Dwellings
Designation:
National Monument
Do you see the T-shaped doorway? How did they get up there? Careful observation reveals a row of wooden beams just below the door. Archaeologist think that occupants may have climbed up a ladder onto a wooden balcony to enter the door. Some archeologist associate the T-shaped door with the Ancestral Puebloan Culture found to the north of this area. How did an Ancestral Puebloan door get on a Mogollon home? Many believe that the door is an indication of trade. Not just the trading of goods; but of ideas, beliefs and even architectural styles. Others believe that the T-shaped door is a feature of the entire Southwest rather than being indicative of a single cultural group.
The actual purpose or meaning of the T-shaped door remains a mystery to archeologist.
The actual purpose or meaning of the T-shaped door remains a mystery to archeologist.