Near Silver City in Catron County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Mogollon Mural

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2014

1. Mogollon Mural Marker

Inscription. Although the design on the wall in front of you has faded since it was painted 700 years ago, its meaning remains. Some modern Puebloan people who claim cultural affiliation with the Mogollon interpret similar designs to symbolize rain or clouds.

Could this mural, recreated with the help of photo enhancement (artist’s concept at left), have been part of a plea to end the thirty year drought that swept the Southwest between 1270 and 1300?

Mural image reconstructed by Russell Greenberg

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Arts, Letters, Music • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1300.

Location. 33° 13.638′ N, 108° 16.082′ W. Marker is near Silver City, New Mexico, in Catron County. Marker can be reached from State Highway 15, 43 miles north of Silver Heights Boulevard (U.S. 180). Marker is located at the cliff dwellings in Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, about ½ mile from the trailhead. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Silver City NM 88061, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

(approx. ¼ mile away); To Aldo Leopold (approx. 1½ miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Mogollon culture (Wikipedia). The Mogollon culture is one of the major prehistoric Southwestern cultural divisions of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. The culture flourished from the archaic period, c. 200 CE, to either 1450 or 1540 CE, when the Spanish arrived. (Submitted on October 14, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Mogollon Magic: Mysterious and Evocative Images. Across their range – from southeastern Arizona and northeastern Sonora through southern New Mexico and northern Chihuahua into western Texas – the Mogollon people left us with stunning galleries of mysterious and evocative images painted or chiseled on surfaces of stone. (Submitted on October 14, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2014

2. Mogollon Mural Marker

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2014

3. Mogollon Mural Marker

(looking out from cliff dwelling • marker and mural on right)

Cliff Dwelling Alcove image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2014

4. Cliff Dwelling Alcove

(marker and mural are located beyond wall on the right)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 14, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 12, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 163 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 14, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.