Salado culture, orSalado Horizon,[1] was ahuman culture in the upperSalt River (río Salado)[2] of theTonto Basin in southeasternArizona from approximately 1150CE through the 15th century.
Distinguishing characteristics of the Salado include distinctiveSalado Polychrome pottery, communities within walledadobe compounds, and burial of the dead (rather than cremation).[1] The Salado were farmers, using simpleirrigation techniques to water fields ofmaize,beans,pumpkins,amaranth, andcotton. They also hunted local game and gathered buds, leaves, and roots to supplement their diet.[3] They traded with other cultures, as indicated by archaeological finds of seashells from theGulf of California andmacaw feathers fromMexico.
While the Salado communities of the river valley have been covered byTheodore Roosevelt Lake, elevatedcliff dwellings remain. The cliff dwellings were built in the 14th century by Salado who moved up into the hills from the more crowded valleys. Two relatively intact cliff dwellings were set aside in 1907 byTheodore Roosevelt asTonto National Monument.[3]
The cliff dwellings of Tonto National Monument were constructed within natural recesses in siltstone hills surrounding Tonto Basin. The Salado used mud and rocks to construct multistory dwellings, or pueblos. The Lower Cliff Dwelling consisted of sixteen rooms on the ground floor, three having a second story. Adjacent to the primary structure was a twelve-room annex. The Upper Cliff Dwelling consisted of thirty-two rooms on the ground floor, eight of which had second stories.
Archaeologists have found a variety of objects that form our picture of Salado life and culture.Salado Polychrome pottery was both useful and decorative. Sandals woven fromyucca andagave fibers testify to weaving skills, as do close-coiled baskets. Bone tools helped the Salado function and thrive in the desert environment. Corn and cotton were cultivated with ever more extensive irrigation systems. A major technological achievement was the casting of copper bells in wax molds.[4]
TheSalt River flows through the Tonto Basin, which provided the Salado with enough water to support agriculture and animal populations. In approximately 1330, climate change made the valley more arid and water tables dropped. Current flora and fauna in the basin and up into the surrounding hills and mountains includemesquite, Arizona walnut, andsycamore trees;saguaro,Cylindropuntia (cholla),prickly pear,agave, andjojobacactus andsucculents;oak,juniper,piñon, andponderosa pine trees; and deer, rabbit, quail, and other such wildlife.
the Salado culture was named for the Salt River (Río Salado in Spanish) that was central to their way of life
