Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park

Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park

Besh-Ba-Gowah is a 700 year old pueblo ruin located near Globe, Arizona. You enter through the narrow passage between the remains of buildings that once housed the Salado Indians. These passages lead to the central plaza where ceremonies were held and many of the dead were buried. It is presumed that the small passages were used as a defense mechanism against enemies or other dangers to those that live there. During excavation of the ruins, pottery, utensils, jewelry and other furbishing items used by this pre-Columbian tribe were found. These items are displayed inside the buildings that are still intact along with ladders leading to the upper levels. The ground level was used for storage while the families lived in the upper levels. Many of the ladders and some of the buildings were restored to recreate how they lived for those of us visiting the site.

The Besh-Ba-Gowah is thought to have been established around A.D. 900 by the Hohokam. They built a pit-house settlement which was abandoned by them approximately A.D. 1100. Around 1225, the Salado Indians started the construction of Besh-Ba-Gowah and the ruins that we see today. The name Besh-Ba-Gowah comes from the Apache language and means, “place of metal” or “metal camp”.

The Salado Indians were highly developed group of people. Their remarkable abilities to create utensils, decorative pottery and colorful cotton cloths, showed how advanced they were for that era. The Besh-Ba-Gowah museum displays the largest collection of the Salado artifacts. Along with the ruins and museum, the site also has an amazing ethno-botanical garden.  The garden demonstrates how the Salado Indians may have used these plants that are native to Arizona. These plants were used for all their needs for not only food but fibers, construction materials and dyes.

For all the information about the Besh-Ba-Gowah, check out this site.

...and who are these shady ladies?