Ancient Arizona, pgs 28-29
Players: Beth and Josh - June 2010
Directions: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
1100 West Ruins Drive
Coolidge, AZ 85128
Entrance fee: $5
Warning! Casa Grande ruins are not in Casa Grande, AZ!
One might think that the above warning is a joke considering the title of this mission. However, being the navigator that I am, I may have gotten slightly confused about the location of this archaeological gem before trying to sneak in a nap with my wonderful new travel pillow (which had saved my life a few days earlier when I acquired it during my 12 hours in the Detroit metro airport. It deserved a few more naps for the being such a good friend to me there...) Thankfully Josh was more alert than I, considering he was the driver and all, and saw signs for the ruins on the freeway!
The Casa Grande ruins were the first archaeological site to be preserved by the federal government. Today it is a national monument, museum, picnic area, and place for the curious to ponder ancient civilizations.
Built by the Hokokam Indians, the purpose for the construction of the Casa Grande ruins is unknown. The building was constructed of caliche(a sedimentary rock) and originally stood 4 feet tall! Doorways had to be accessed by ladder and the lower walls were 4 feet thick. The building was once protected by a 7 foot high barrier.
The ruins are covered by an enormous roof that shades it. The roof was built in 1932 and it stands 69 feet high and cover 8,000 square feet. The roof is being considered for the National Register of Historic Places. It is constructed with steel, has an integrated water-drainage system, a grounded lightning rod, and can withstand hurricane-force winds"...the roof should outlast the ruins themselves. Perhaps someday, millennia from now, the caliche will have eroded away and future explorers will ponder the ancient purpose of this Umbrella Grande (Treat, 'Weird Arizona' p28)."
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