Sherwood Ranch Pueblo

History

The older section of the pueblo was inhabited during the Pueblo III Period, from 1250 to 1300. It has a variety of masonry styles, and several different building materials were used, including large sandstone boulders, smaller sandstone, and river cobblestones. At the southern end of the northern pueblo rests a large great kiva, with an eastern entry ramp. The construction began with a few central rooms, and as the population grew additional rooms were added as necessary, without any central plan. The great kiva was constructed first, along with a suite of rooms immediately adjacent. The additional rooms were added as needed to the north and east of this original structure.

The newer, southern section was inhabited from 1310 to 1370. It was a much more planned construction, with rooms constructed of tabular sandstone arranged in a geometric grid pattern around the central plaza, which in turn had a single rectangular great kiva on its southern side.

The pueblo was one of the largest situated in Little Colorado River valley, and one of the few which was continuously inhabited throughout the Pueblo III and Pueblo IV periods. The ancient pueblo residents constructed numerous irrigation canals, utilizing the waters of the river.

Excavations were conducted on the site during the 1980s and 1990s by the White Mountain Archaeological Center, although no papers were published regarding those excavations, and any artifacts from those digs have not been shared with the public.