(continued from Keet Seel 2: arrival at the ruin)
An everyday cooking vessel sits silently in the ruin.
In every direction, my eyes land on evidence of the ancestral Puebloans’ occupancy — at times so fresh, so present, that it is as if these people just picked up and left recently.
Ancient corn cobs fill the stone depressions that may have served as part of the grinding process.
Ancient shrunken corn cobs fill stone depressions which were likely used for knocking the kernels off to be ground; I can see the womenfolk hard at their task with metates and manos. A shapely vessel adorns the top of one wall, recovered in pieces and cemented back together; I can see girls filling it with water. Down in the kiva, fiber loom anchors are attached to the floor; I hear the men gathered there, weaving blankets, talking about their latest hunting escapades.
Hollow pottery handle from a dipper or ladle adds intrigue.
A broken dipper handle, hollow, hallowed, sits upon a pile of stones; thirsty children drink from the spring. And, in one darkened room block, our camera flash reveals distinct painted handprints on the wall — intimate touch of its residents 750 years ago. Rough-hewn beam ends, ceiling timbers shaped by stone ax, project from rock walls. Pottery shards everywhere speak of the artistry and aesthetics of this culture.
~~ to be continued ~~
Every shard reflects the artistry of its maker. They covered the ground underfoot.
One can see the ax marks on this beam. Dendrochronologists can tell in what year it was felled by comparing it to known tree ring patterns.
Black and yellow paint highlight hands of the original residents. The yellow pigment was blown through a straw-like reed to make the negative print.
