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| Great Sand Dunes |
Great Divide Pictures LLC
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Los Caminos Antiguos
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Segment 2: Ancient Lands, Ancient Peoples
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| The well-worn path that is today Los Caminos Antiguos, is known to have been traveled by human beings as early as 8000 B.C. Archeological excavations in the vicinity of the Great Sand Dunes and Blanca Peak indicate evidence of Folsom Man, prehistoric people who hunted in the area until about 5000 B.C. Artifacts thought to have belonged to the Yuma culture have also been found in the valley. Like Folsom Man, the Yuma culture seems to have stopped coming to the valley around 5000 B.C., probably because the animals they hunted migrated out of the region. |
| It is not clear who next visited the area although artifacts uncovered in the southern region of the San Luis Valley establish that there was human activity there. Given the name “Upper Rio Grande Culture,” this group of migratory hunters is thought to have been in the valley before the birth of Christ. In addition, evidence of long-vanished cultures has been found in the northern sections of the region. |
| Around A.D. 1300 Pueblo peoples thought to have been migrating from cliff dwellings located at Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and Canyon de Chelly visited the San Luis Valley. Historians believe that they were drawn to the area by game and fowl as well as by large quantities of turquoise. There is little evidence to suggest that they actually settled in the region. The Tewa Indians, Pueblo people who now live north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, tell stories about the first human beings emerging from the underworld through a hole, known as a sipapu, in a lake located near the Great Sand Dunes, and about living in the valley. Also exploring in the valley were the Utes, who held a strong grip on the region, and the Navajo and Apache. Each tribe is thought to have made annual visits to the region in search of food. However, because of harsh winters, they did not establish permanent settlements in the valley. |
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