“Salado, Whatever that Means” Tour

TOUR CANCELLED  Join Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s “Salado, Whatever that Means” tour with archaeologists Rich Lange and Al Dart on Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18, 2023. On Friday (Day 1), tour guests will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the northwest corner of the Walmart parking lot at 1695 N. Arizona Blvd., Coolidge, Arizona. The tour will end Saturday (Day 2) around 1:00 p.m. or later.

Archaeologists Rich Lange and Al Dart lead this car-caravan educational tour to central Arizona archaeological sites representing the “Salado phenomenon.” What does “Salado” mean? Was Salado a distinct precontact-era culture like the Ancestral Pueblo, Hohokam, Mogollon, and Patayan cultures (all of which were at least partly contemporary with Salado)? If not, then what was Salado exactly? During this tour, Rich and Al will discuss these ideas during visits to the Casa Grande Ruins in Coolidge and Besh Ba Gowah Pueblo and Gila Pueblo on Friday, and Tonto National Monument’s Lower Cliff Dwelling and the Schoolhouse Point Platform Mound archaeological site near Roosevelt Lake on Saturday. On the drive from Coolidge to Globe, participants will see spectacular central Arizona mountains and scenery including Queen Creek Canyon, Devil’s Canyon, and the fabled Apache Leap. There are several restaurant options in Globe for Friday lunch and dinner and Saturday breakfast.

Request donation for this 2-day is $109 donation per person ($90 for Old Pueblo Archaeology Center and S’edav Va’aki Museum Foundation members), which supports Old Pueblo’s education programs about archaeology and traditional cultures; includes all site entry fees and Old Pueblo’s expenses.  Participants provide their own lodging, meals, and transportation. Donations are due by 5 pm Tuesday November 14: 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.

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Caption: Morning view of the Lower Cliff Dwelling in Tonto National Monument, National Park Service photo by J. Smith.