Tuzigoot, an Ancient Dwelling of the Southern Sinagua
©Bert Gildart: We have moved from our wonderful campground at the base of the Superstition Mountains to Deadhorse Ranch State Park near Cottonwood, Arizona. Though noted for tourism we were attracted to the area because of the multitude of Native American ruins located nearby.
Yesterday, we visited Tuzigoot, a remnant of a Southern Sinagua village built between 1125 and 1400.
Tuzigoot, a pueblo of the Southern Sinagua
According to the park brochure, the village once consisted of a cluster of rooms which began with the work of about 50 persons, all of whom tilled the soil. Refugee farmers fleeing from drought added to the population and the village swelled to about 200.
About 1400 villagers abandoned their pueblos and though no one knows exactly why, offer as possible reasons over population, depletion of natural resources, weather changes – and perhaps even changes in spiritual beliefs.
Any of this sound familiar?
HDR MAY WORK BEST
Photographing Tuzigoot in the intense and harsh Arizona sunlight can be a challenge and here is where I think High Density Resolution (HDR) may provide the perfect solution in the creation of pleasing images.
Tuzigoot, ruin left behind by the Southern Sinagua, a culture that once flourished in the Verde Valley.
To create images shown here I bracketed three stops and then used PhotoMatrix to merge those portions of each image where the exposure was correct. That way shadows don’t go black and highlights don’t wash out. HDR has a tendency to dramatize the colors and that can be modified, though I like a slight exaggeration, and believe there are times natural light might render the images as currently shown. Some may also think the image appears to have been heavily polarized.
The Cottonwood area contains many more Native structures and we will be visiting those over the next few days. I will also be reading the galleys of my book on Montana which Globe Pequot, my publisher, has pushed up to September. It appears that work this next week will keep Janie and me jumping.
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