Archeological Expedition to Arizona: Passage 3

00:00 Our next passage is entitled Archaeological Expedition to Arizona.

00:06 As I researched for this passage of Social Sciences, so this will be a little bit more factual in nature and detail-oriented and maybe we might expect for archaeology when we maybe approach archaeology in our day-to-day life as kind of this interesting study of past cultures.

00:23 We did a bit of that in this passage but we're also going to just really approach this from an objective point of view as well.

00:31 We're told by the author that we have some ruins which while in that any way peculiar closely resemble others found in a similar position throughout this region in Arizona and New Mexico.

00:46 I think this connects the importance of what we're about to study to kind of a larger discussion.

00:53 Then the author states to let us first consider the series of caves from a point opposite our camp to the promontory which forms a pinnacle at the mouth of the first of the 2 side cabins.

01:07 At the end of the next paragraph then he states "It was impossible to reach several of the rooms and it is probable that when the caves were inhabited, access to any one of them was even more difficult." So, we have maybe some type of a security feature automatically built in to this structure, and so I'm always looking for like what the function of all these structures is and perhaps it is on purpose that these are not easily accessible.

01:36 Next, the author states "Judging from the number of rooms, the cliffs on the left bank of the Verde must have been a considerable population when inhabited." And then this inaccessible position furnished the inhabitants with a safe refuge from enemies.

01:52 I think this kind of reinforces our thought of what the purpose of these ruins are and this also places them in a human context.

02:01 So I just like to think of how interesting it would be to kind of you living in these highly inaccessible ruins, but to have a large population.

02:11 That distracts me as interested.

02:13 We are told that this structure is dugout of soft rock and that fragments of wood were very rarely seen in these cliff dugouts.

02:22 I just took a note of maybe the materials that were used to build well would have been the original edifice that is now ruins.

02:31 Then we have the last room at the southern end near the promontory at the right of the entrance to a side canyon has walls in front resembling those of true cliff houses and pueblos in the Red Rock Country further northward.

02:47 Again, I just think this connects to a larger meaning and a larger context so I thought that was important to highlight.

02:53 In the final paragraph, the author states this group of cavate dwellings were all a good example of the cavern type of ruins is so closely associated both in geographical position and in archaeological remains but other types in Verde valley that we are justified and referring them to one in the same people.

03:12 So I think this just really connects this immediate context with other people's.

03:18 The author is kind of hindered at this going forward, but at this point he just really states based on the evidence these are actually the same people.

03:27 Lastly, we conclude with they are entered from a projecting ledge formed by the top of the talus which follows the level of their entrances.

03:36 So this is kind of a funny way to conclude a passage. It doesn't sound like the resounding conclusion.

03:43 It doesn't sound so much as an opinion, but because this is an archaeology passage the structure along communicates function to a large degree and so it's okay to end on kind of what would otherwise be kind of an odd note if these were an opinionated humanities passage.