Last updated: January 23, 2024
Place
Cave 3: How Old are the Dwellings?
NPS/Sean Dupre'
Quick Facts
Location:
Gila Hot Springs
Significance:
Cliff Dwellings
Designation:
National Monument
Amenities
1 listed
Benches/Seating
Before entering the cave, look up. Do you see the wooden poles overhead? They are the original beams the Mogollon people used to build roofs for their homes.
Look for the small round “plug” in one of the beams. Using dendrochronology (the study of tree ring patterns), archeologists can accurately date the structures you see before you. Most of the rooms were built in the 1280’s, but humans used these caves for shelter much earlier. The heavy soot on the cave’s ceilings, and artifacts that date to earlier cultural groups make it likely that humans temporarily camped in these caves for thousands of years.
Yet only the Mogollon people decided to build within the caves and make this place their home. There must have been very compelling events that caused these people to leave their pueblos and reside in the cliffs.
Look for the small round “plug” in one of the beams. Using dendrochronology (the study of tree ring patterns), archeologists can accurately date the structures you see before you. Most of the rooms were built in the 1280’s, but humans used these caves for shelter much earlier. The heavy soot on the cave’s ceilings, and artifacts that date to earlier cultural groups make it likely that humans temporarily camped in these caves for thousands of years.
Yet only the Mogollon people decided to build within the caves and make this place their home. There must have been very compelling events that caused these people to leave their pueblos and reside in the cliffs.