What lies under Roosevelt Lake?
In ancient times, before Roosevelt Dam formed the lake, the region now called Tonto Basin was home to people who built towns of adobe and created beautifully decorated pottery. For over fifty years, archaeologists have puzzled over the origins of this distinctive architecture and pottery. Why did their use spread over vast regions of the Southwest, including the Hohokam region of south-central Arizona? Archaeologists termed the 13th century people of the Tonto Basin the Salado, the Spanish word for salt; the Salt River (Rio Salado) was the lifeblood of the Basin. The River is still a vital resource today. Archaeological excavations required due to expansion of the Salt River’s Roosevelt Dam were recently completed in the Tonto Basin in the 1990s.
The Evidence
New cultural patterns emerged in the 13th century Tonto Basin and persisted for nearly 300 years. This pattern of culture changes, or “horizon,” is also found in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. The Salado Horizon includes:
- The development and spread of Salado Polychrome pottery
- Communities laid out as walled adobe compounds
- A shift from cremation to inhumation of the dead
The Debate
- Do the distinctive cultural patterns of the Tonto Basin reflect a unique culture group whose influence spread across the Southwest?
- Do the patterns represent a mix of local and immigrant groups who populated the Tonto Basin -- and areas of the Southwest -- throughout its history?
New cultural patterns emerged in the 13th century Tonto Basin and persisted for nearly 300 years. This pattern of culture changes, or “horizon,” is also found in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. The Salado Horizon includes:
- The development and spread of Salado Polychrome pottery
- Communities laid out as walled adobe compounds
- A shift from cremation to inhumation of the dead
The Debate
- Do the distinctive cultural patterns of the Tonto Basin reflect a unique culture group whose influence spread across the Southwest?
- Do the patterns represent a mix of local and immigrant groups who populated the Tonto Basin -- and areas of the Southwest -- throughout its history?