LIFE AND DEATH IN MONTEZUMA’S WELL
the waters may seem peaceful. Light
on the pale rocks, rose petals
on the path but night after night
three species in the well act
out a life and death drama
under the waves. At the center
of the action is the tiny
amphipod. This crustacean
looks like a shrimp but is no
bigger than your smallest
finger nail. During the day,
amphipods swim and feed
near the center of the well,
just out of reach of diving ducks
and other predators. But
at night, while those hunters
sleep, a new threat rises
from below, leeches. These
invertebrates do not such
blood like other of their
species, they eat amphipods.
The amphipods flee to
towards the water’s edge
only to encounter yet
another predator, the
water scorpion. I the
pond weed surrounding
the water, the amphipods
must remain as still as
they can until the sun
rises again
MONTEZUMA’S WELL
an oasis in a harsh
desert. A peaceful
pond yet the setting
of a nightly struggle
between living and
dying. It’s water
sculpts the land at
the well, all the layers
or rock penetrated
and eroded by this
water has left a
chemical signature
on it– the water
contains arsenic
and high amounts
of carbon dioxide
which means no fish can
live here, they simply
can’t breathe
MONTSEZUMA’S WELL
in 1864 a group of men exploring
the area around Beaver Creek
found and named Montezuma’s
well. Nettles and Hackberry
catch on my yoga pants. This surprise,
a lake and lush vegetation in the
middle of a desert. A limestone sink
still fed by and never stopping
continuous flowing springs. The
water bubbling into Montezuma’s
well fell millions of years ago
out of the Mogollon
TUZIGOOT
the first people entered this
landscape 10,000- 13,000years ago before
the pueblo walls were built atop
the ridge’s steep rocks. Tho
the land looks dry, this was the bread
basket for hundreds of generations
of hunters and gatherers. Cacti, mesquite,
yucca and juniper provided food,
medicine, crafts and toys. Empty now, these
rooms were filled with sounds
of life, hard work grinding and pounding
corn into powder, laughter and
crying, solemn meetings,
joyful celebrations , birth death, sex
and dying. The limestone ridges, remnants
of a primeval time when
Verde Valley was covered by
shallow lakes, dried up sandy playas
2 to 8 million years ago
TAUASCI MARSH
at the base of the northern ridge
several small springs produce 9 to
12 gallons of water every second,
an incredibly important resource in
this desert environment. In pre-
historic times, they likely gushed
even more bringing millions of gallons
of water to Tauasci Marsh. Suddenly
the parched desert bursts with the
green — grasses give way to cat tails,
sedge and other aquatic species.
Cotton woods grow in the moist
areas away from the bank and a
little further from its water,
velvet mesquite, cat claw
and acacia thrive
THE SINAQUA BUILT MANY
small field houses
some slept near their crops
at times, woke in the night,
listened for animals
in the blossoms
It was almost like music
hearing stillness
in the cornleaves
some sang blessings
before lying down to sleep
THE YOUNG BOYS WERE TAUGHT
to use spears, bows, throwing
sticks and arrows. Clubs and
snares. Domesticated dogs, Turkeys
and maybe a few blue and red
macaws . They used to dogs to flush
out rabbits from cover when
they weren’t coiled in the cove of
a young girl’s arms
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