Gila Cliff Dwellings

It is thought, by archeologists, that the modern pueblo culture in New Mexico had its origins with the people who are called the Mogollon (mug-ee-yone). These prehistoric peoples lived in small groups along the Little Colorado River system and as far south as Mexico.

Following the evolution of the earlier Cochise people (5500 bc to ad 500, the Mogollon were influenced by the more highly-developed Anasazi who lived to the north in the Four Corners region. This was the period during which the Gila Cliff Dwellings were occupied -- after AD 1000.

The earlier pit dwellings of the Mogollon have been destroyed by nature over the centuries. However, because they have been protected from the elements, the Gila Cliff Dwellings and a few other sites have survived. The dwellings and surrounding Gila Wilderness are national treasures.
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