Sandstone Cliff in Canyon de Chelly 1993
by Connie Fox
Title
Sandstone Cliff in Canyon de Chelly 1993
Artist
Connie Fox
Medium
Photograph - Outdoor Color Kodak Film Photo. Landscapes, Architecture, And Nature
Description
One of several hundred cliffs of steep canyon walls in Canyon de Chelly (duh shay) National Monument, within the borders of the Navajo Nation, near Chinle in northeastern Arizona.
While this one has no obvious apartment-like structures carved out of the cliff, it does have crevices that may have served as shelters to some brave Anasazi whose fear of their enemies proved greater than their fear of heights. It also curves deeply into what could have been a great place for a small town. Not exactly Little House on the Prairie. But if you browse through my Arizona album, you will see the lengths (rather, heights!) to which the Anasazi went to be safe, secure, and protected. So I would not be at all surprised if a group of pueblos were hiding around the bend in this image.
The Anasazi civilization grew in the dry lands of the American Southwest. Called The Ancient People, they lived in groups of houses built along the sides or under the overhangs of cliffs. The Spanish later called these homes pueblos. Some of the structures look somewhat like apartments. Others are simple cliff ledges on which the Anasazi lived, and nearly all of these abodes were reached by ladder.
The Anasazi, who also inhabited Mesa Verde, were excellent basket weavers, known to grow maize and pumpkin.
Though most people view the canyon from above, as I had done prior to this trip into the canyon in 1993, the only way to really see it is to get down into the canyon and let a guide escort you. I recommend the Jeep tour, though there are a few places where one would be allowed to explore without a guide. Be sure to check ahead of time.
Photographed in the summer of 1993 with a Minolta Freedom Escort and Kodak 200 film. Scanned from my original print. More images of Canyon de Chelly, along with Anasazi dwellings, can be found in my Arizona Gallery.
Copyright 1993-2014 Connie Steitz Fox. All Rights Reserved. Please note: The watermark, if visible here, will not appear on your purchased artwork.
Sandstone Cliff in Canyon de Chelly 1993 by Connie Fox
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August 18th, 2014
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