WUPATKI PUEBLO: A STUDY IN CULTURAL FUSION AND ...

However, some juniper and rare pinon pine Plnus edulls«
are found on top of Woodhouse Mesa, which stands directly
to the south of the ruin, and ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa.
is known to have grown there in past years. There are many
prehistoric "beams of ponderosa pine (107) from the ruin,
and at least 171 beams of Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menzlesii
varo gjlauca (Harlan 1961$ Stein i960: 9). Twenty cotton-
wood or aspen beams Populos sp» have been identified, but
of ths currently available nearby timber, pinon pine (36
beams) and juniper (28 beams) are surprisingly rare
(Stein 1960s 9; Mc.Gregor 19**2a: 2). Ponderosa pine is
now found only in small scattered residual clumps on the
Monument, and is not encountered in any numbers closer than
10 to 15 miles from the ruin, where it generally appears
above 6500 feet. Douglas fir is now found no closer than
the 7000-8000 foot levels of the San Francisco Peaks. The
closest cottonwoods Populus fremontl, presently grow in the
Little Colorado River Valley.
These last facts suggest either a climatic change
in the area since the- occupation of the ruin, or that the
inhabitants of Wupatkl were willing to make long marches
to secure the beams for their buildings. It may be that
the cinder fall In the Wupatkl area provided for more ground
moisture, and that pine, Douglas fir, and cottonwood were
drawn down into areas at least 1000 feet lower than their
present normal ecological limits, and thus were prehlstorlcally
15