Archaeologists have long appreciated that the Southwest’s dry climate is ideal for preserving perishable goods left by past people. Cloth, basketry, wood, or plant and animal materials that have survived for nearly a thousand years are rare, exciting finds.
Such a discovery was made on a ranch near Montezuma Castle in central Arizona, and the entire collection was recently donated to the Verde Valley Archaeology Center in Camp Verde.
The central Arizona ranch belonged to Paul Dyck [pron: DIKE], a western artist best known for his paintings of Plains Indians. He bought it in 1938, and had his art studio there. A rockshelter on his land held a small Sinagua dwelling dating to AD 1100 to 1300.
During excavations at the site from 1962 to 1972, an amazing number of perishable pieces were uncovered, including pottery, textiles, wooden items, cordage, and food remains. The collection of more than 20,000 artifacts is “unparalleled,” says Todd Bostwick, director of archaeology for the Verde Valley center. He points in particular to cotton items, along with elaborate netting, painted reeds, turquoise pendants, complete bows and arrows, and bone awls.
Paul Dyck died in Sedona in 2006, and his son, John, realized the value of keeping the collection intact. In April of this year, John and his wife Cindy donated all of it to the center, where it’s being catalogued and curated.
One man’s preservation ethic, passed down to his children, means many more generations of people will have a chance to learn about the past.
Earth Notes is produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.