Published September 13, 2022, for State 48 A2Z
Located just a mile outside of Globe, Arizona just off US-60 near the New Mexico border sites the archeological park and museum of Besh Ba Gowah. While the name was given by the Apache people and translates to “place of metal”, it was the Salado people who built this multi-room Pueblo that overlooks Pinal Creek and lived here for roughly two centuries dating from 1225CE to 1400CE.
Prior to the Salado residing here, the Hohokam people lived here first from roughly 800CE to 1150CE as evident from Hohokam pithouses which were found below the Besh Ba Gowah during the excavation process, and it is believed that the area was constantly occupied since roughly 700CE. Besh Ba Gowah had about 400-rooms with roughly 250 on the ground floor, but an accurate count is impossible due to the destruction of several sections from modern history.
Historians have determined that Besh Ba Gowah was destroyed by fire and an earthquake in 1340CE, and rebuilt in 1345. The entrance to the pueblo was a long narrow ground-level corridor that was protected from some of the elements by the building's second story. It also had very few doorways and access to most of the rooms was by ladders from the roof. It is believed that this was for protection purposes.
The walled architecture at Besh Ba Gowah consists of unshaped, medium-to-large size granite stones that are bonded together using a calcium-based mixture mortar. Sadly, about half of the ruin site (the north quarter of the ruins and parts of the east and west sections) was bulldozed by the Army Corp of Engineers in 1948 to clear the ground for a Boy Scout gathering, while the eastern edge was bulldozed for a softball field in 1982. History be dammed, I guess.
Today, you can tour the site and walk the same pathways that the ancient Salados did nearly a millennium ago. Tour the archeological site and the partially reconstructed room ruins. You can also walk inside the two-story building that is located at the ear of the site and get a feel for how it was to live inside the walls.
There is also a museum on the site that houses prehistoric pottery, stone, and artifacts that have been excavated from the site. The museum also has a theater room that shows a video interpreting the lives of the ancient cultures and the ruins.
It may seem like a bit of a drive, but it really isn’t that bad as US-60 basically takes you right there, making for a scenic drive past the Superstition Mountains, Weavers Needle, Picket Post Mountain, and the Pinal Mountains. The archeological park and museum are more than making the distance worth it. Add to it that admission is currently only $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for children, and that makes this a very affordable day trip for most people and families. Plus, it’s a great way to learn about the history of those who called these lands home long before Columbus “discovered” the new world by mistake.
For more information about Besh Ba Gowah Archeological Park & Museum, visit https://www.discovergilacounty.com/besh-ba-gowah. The park and museum are operated by the City of Globe.
That’ll wrap things up for this week. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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