,,agatized ,,rainbows ,a ,story of the ,petrified ,forest ,with views of other ,national ,park ,service units of ,northern ,arizona ,illustration3 ,third ,forest4 ,photo by ,jerry ,mc,lain4 ,illustration3 ,colorful petrified log sections1 typical of many found in the monument4 ,photo by ,esther ,henderson4 ,illustration3 ,blue ,forest ,badlands--,colorful banded ridges1 a three mile side trip4 ,photo by ,ray ,manly4 ,illustration3 ,,map ,,showing3 ,,national ,,parks1 ,,national ,,monuments1 ,,points ,,of ,,interest ,illustration3 ,agate ,bridge4 ,erosion has cut out the rock from under this log leaving a span of #de feet forming a bridge1 now supported by a beam4 ,photo by ,leon ,cantrell4 ,illustration3 ,an example of color and erosion in the ,first ,forest4 ,photo by ,josef ,muench4 ,illustration3 ,logs of rainbow hues in the ,second ,forest4 ,photo by ,josef ,muench4 ,illustration3 ,old ,faithful ,log near the ,museum in ,rainbow ,forest has the largest base diameter of those readily seen during a trip through the ,monument4 ,illustration3 ,logs in the ,second ,forest4 ,photos by ,josef ,muench4 ,illustration3 ,a polished specimen of wood from ,rainbow ,forest ,museum1 where many other colorful sections are on display4 ,photo by ,josef ,muench4 ,illustration3 ,mariposa ,lilies1 one of the beautiful wildflowers that bloom during ,may1 in the ,forest4 ,photo by ,josef ,muench4 ,,agatized ,,rainbows 4444 ,a ,story of the ,petrified ,forest ,,popular ,,series ,no4 #c--aiea ,,presented ,,by ,,petrified ,,forest ,,museum ,,association1 ,,holbrook1 ,,arizona ,,and ,,the ,,arizona ,,state ,,highway ,,department ,,text ,,by ,,harold ,j4 ,,brodrick1 ,,park ,,naturalist 8,oh ranger1 please6 ,just one itzy bitzy piece of petrified wood to take home to show my boy friend4 ,you won't miss just one teeny weeny piece40 ,holding in his hand an assortment of specimens of petrified wood which he had just retrieved from the young lady driving the flashy convertible1 the ,highway #bfj checking station ranger at ,petrified ,forest ,national ,monument shook his head with a wry smile4 8,sorry1 lady1 but the rules say #8,it is unlawful to injure1 destroy1 or remove specimens of petrified wood of any size whatsoever found within the monument boundary 99 99 991' and my job is to see that this and other regulations are obeyed4 ,you're right1 we would never miss these few pieces if you took them home with you1 but they belong to the people of the ,united ,states1 and if everyone of the #cej1jjj visitors who come here each year took away only a few specimens1 as you wish to do1 in a very few years there wouldn't be any left4 ,it's my job1 as representative of the people of this country1 to see that there will always be this great natural display of petrified wood here where it was formed40 ,as the young lady drove off with a gay wave of her hand and 8,i think you're mean0 tossed over her shoulder1 the ranger turned to us with a rueful smile4 8,happens every day10 he said4 8,you can't blame people for wanting to take home a souvenir of the ,petrified ,forest1 and the stuff is so pretty that kids1 especially1 just can't help but want to pack it off4 ,and1 with so much of it here1 it's hard for them to understand that it would soon be gone1 particularly along the roads and trails1 if everyone carried off a handful or two40 ,we agreed with the ranger that it is hard to understand1 until it is explained that such enormous quantities of petrified wood as are strewn over hundreds of acres in ,petrified ,forest ,national ,monument could be entirely removed in a few years by souvenir-hungry ,american tourists4 8,but where10 we inquired1 8do these roadside stands all along ,highway #ff get the huge piles of petrified wood which they offer for sale8 ,surely the ,national ,park ,service doesn't permit them to haul it off the monument by the truckload40 8,oh no10 grinned the ranger4 8,all of that #8for-sale' wood comes from private lands4 ,the national monument preserves and protects only the largest and most colorful deposits of petrified wood2 but it is found in many places throughout northeastern ,arizona40 ,the impatient toot of an automobile horn informed us that we were blocking traffic1 so we thanked the ranger and continued on our way4 ,however1 the interesting conversation aroused our curiosity1 and at the first opportunity we returned to the ,petrified ,forest to learn more about the occurrence of petrified wood1 and how ,uncle ,sam1 through the ,national ,park ,service1 keeps the wood from being carried off by souvenir collectors1 and how the fascinating story of wood petrification is told to visitors who take a little time to visit the monument museum at the ,rainbow ,forest headquarters of the superintendent4 ,this is the way the naturalists tell it4 ,believe it or not1 it was the threat of souvenir hunters and raids on the fields of petrified wood by commercial jewelers1 gem collectors1 and abrasive manufacturers in the late #ahij's and early #aijj's that led thoughtful citizens of the then ,arizona ,territory to petition ,congress for the establishment of some sort of a protectorate for the ,petrified ,forest4 ,in the vicinity of the ,agate ,bridge and what is now known as the ,first ,forest1 enterprising abrasive makers set up a stamp mill to pulverize the great blocks of petrified wood which they found there4 ,here1 also1 many of the logs were dynamited in the search for quartz and amethyst crystals which some of them contained4 ,as a result of the petition by citizens of ,arizona ,territory1 and in response to requests by other groups in the ,southwest that steps be taken to protect great cliff dwellings and other prehistoric ,indian remains which were being systematically pothunted and looted1 ,congress passed the ,antiquities ,act4 ,this authority enabled ,president ,theodore ,roosevelt on ,december #h1 #aijf1 to issue a proclamation establishing ,petrified ,forest ,national ,monument for the protection and preservation of one of the world's most colorful and extensive concentrations of petrified wood 8for the benefit and enjoyment of the people40 ,northeastern ,arizona is not the only area known to contain petrified wood1 for it has been found in nearly every ,state and in foreign countries as well4 ,visitors from distant ,states are frequently surprised to discover1 from a map in the monument's museum1 that petrified wood is to be found near their own homes4 ,it is1 however1 the large amount of the wood in such beautiful and varied colors that makes this ,petrified ,forest outstanding and worthy of being protected as an area of national significance4 ,we do not know for certain which of the early travelers was the first to see the great display of petrified wood of northern ,arizona4 ,spanish explorers may have seen it during the #aejj's1 since they viewed and named the ,painted ,desert 7,desierto ,pintado71 but no written account has been located that gives any indication that they noticed the wood4 ,in fact1 the earliest written report on record was not made until #ahea4 ,in that year1 ,lieutenant ,sitgreaves1 an ,army officer1 explored parts of northern ,arizona and mentioned the petrified wood in his reports4 ,in #ahec1 an ,army expedition led by ,lieutenant ,whipple visited the present monument area1 camping near the ,black ,forest4 ,it was not until the #ahhj's that settlement of this part of the ,arizona territory really got under way with completion of the ,santa ,fe ,railroad across it in #ahhc4 ,word about the petrified wood spread1 and it was not long until the destructive activities were started4 ,the six separate 8forests0 within the monument are areas of the greatest concentration of petrified logs and have been named the ,first1 ,second1 ,third1 ,black1 ,rainbow1 and ,blue ,forests4 ,the latter was given its name because of the bluish color of much of the badlands formation in which the wood is found4 ,there is not a great deal of difference in the wood found in the other locations1 so they were apparently named by early residents in order to distinguish one location from the other4 ,fortunately1 this monument is easily accessible since it is crossed by two main highways1 thus giving visitors to northern ,arizona an excellent opportunity to enjoy the beauties of this unusual work of nature4 ,the ,national ,park ,service of the ,united ,states ,department of the ,interior has been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting and administering this and all of the other national monuments and parks forming ,america's ,national ,park ,system4 ,it is the responsibility of all the people1 as owners of these outstanding national values1 to help the ,service keep the wonders of this and other parks and monuments intact for the enjoyment of future generations4 ,because of the name 8,petrified ,forest10 many people who have read of it expect to find trees 8turned to stone0 and standing upright just as they grew4 ,actually1 geologists who have studied the area very carefully do not believe that many of the living trees grew in this particular location1 for all of the evidence indicates that fallen timber from forests a considerable distance away was carried here by flood waters of ancient streams and stranded and buried in the mud and shallows of lagoons and marshes4 ,during the latter part of what geologists call the ,triassic period1 about #afj to #agj million years ago1 most of northeastern ,arizona was apparently an extensive flood plain2 low1 flat1 and swampy4 ,numerous streams1 some of them quite large1 flowed out from the surrounding low hills into the plain4 ,these streams brought enormous quantities of sediments2 mud1 sand1 and other minerals1 spreading it out layer upon layer as they shifted their flow back and forth just as on present river deltas4 ,these sediments contained huge amounts of volcanic ash which the streams apparently picked up near their sources4 ,this ash was largely silica1 the mineral which was later to be of major importance in the petrification of the wood4 7,silica 7,si,o7 is the oxide of silicon1 a non-metallic element making up #bh per cent of the earth's crust4 ,the crystal form of silica is quartz1 the commonest of all minerals1 which is found in large amounts in many volcanic rocks47 ,the flood plain was broken by an occasional ridge or high spot1 apparently tree-covered1 as a few petrified stumps with partial root systems have been found in the locations where they apparently grew4 ,however1 most of the trees grew in forests on the low hills through which these rivers flowed1 anywhere from a few miles to #ej or #ajj miles or more to the west and southwest of the present national monument4 ,these trees died from various causes1 just as trees of our modern times do4 ,fire1 wind1 insects1 diseases1 and other causes all took their toll4 ,many trees probably decayed in the forest where they fell1 but others were picked up by flood waters and were eventually transported by the streams to the flood plain there to become stranded with hundreds of others and to be covered by the sediments brought in by the streams4 ,this transportation theory is based on several types of evidence4 ,in the first place1 the logs have been stripped of much of their original roots and limbs1 and practically all of the bark has disappeared4 ,the logs present a worn appearance1 an indication of having received rough treatment4 ,also1 very few traces of cones or foliage have been located1 although the fossil remains of more than #cj species of fragile ferns1 cycads1 rushes1 and other plants that grew in the marshes of the ancient flood plain have been found4 ,the direction of the original drainage into this area has been established by tracing the source of the ,permian gravels which are deposited here4 ,the deposition of these sediments over the plain continued until a layer about #djj feet thick was built up during the centuries4 ,this deposit is now known geologically as the 8,chinle ,formation40 ,one of the principal materials found in the ,chinle is ,bentonite1 originally a volcanic ash which the streams brought4 ,it has since decomposed into a clay-like soil which is very porous and spongy and which readily absorbs water and expands4 ,when becoming very wet1 it turns into a bluish mud and is washed away4 ,erosion of this ,bentonite and other materials deposited with it forms the badlands area now seen on portions of the monument and in the ,painted ,desert4 ,during the ages when the original layers of mud1 sand1 and silt were being deposited1 many of the logs were washed in and buried at various levels with this ,chinle material4 ,while all of this was slowly taking place1 the land mass over this part of the continent was gradually subsiding4 ,it continued to settle during the next geological period of millions of years1 and layer after layer of sediments were washed in and deposited on top of it4 ,then during the next geological 7,cretaceous7 period1 a long arm of a sea flooded this part of the country4 ,marine deposits accumulated on the bottom of the sea until finally the ,chinle ,formation containing the buried logs was covered by #c1jjj feet or more of other deposits4 ,at the close of ,cretaceous time1 about #fj million years ago1 uplift of the present ,rocky ,mountain system commenced4 ,the basin in which the ,petrified ,forest lay buried rose with it4 ,this gradual rising movement has continued intermittently nearly to the present time4 ,this uplift brought with it the activity of erosion which has continued through the ages until finally almost all of the #c1jjj feet of upper layers of material have been washed away1 and the many logs1 that had once been so deeply buried1 have again been exposed on the surface2 but now as hard1 colorful stone4 ,erosion continued to carry the soil away from the petrified logs1 exposing more and more of them4 ,as forces of erosion lowered the surface of the ground little by little1 the petrified logs1 too hard to be affected1 settled with it1 eventually accumulating with sections of other logs that had been buried on a lower level4 ,thus1 the present surface of the ground is rather thickly covered1 in many spots1 with wood that was originally scattered through approximately the upper #ajj feet of this ,chinle ,formation4 ,in the vicinity of the ,rainbow and ,third ,forest1 at least1 about #cjj feet more of this formation still remains4 ,so far as we know1 wood is to be found throughout this entire layer4 ,therefore1 theoretically at least1 it may be said that #be per cent of the petrified wood that is here is visible on the surface1 the rest still remaining buried below4 ,three species of trees have been found here in petrified form4 ,the most common one is an ,araucarian ,pine 7,araucarioxylon ,arizonicum71 a primitive member of the pine family4 ,this species became extinct long ago1 but there are still several species of modern ,araucaria native to ,south ,america1 ,australia1 ,new ,zealand1 and other ,south ,pacific islands which are apparently very similar to this ancient form4 ,some of the modern types have been imported to this country and are used for ornamental purposes in certain locations in ,florida and along the ,pacific coast4 ,the most common ones are known as the 8,monkey ,puzzle ,tree0 and 8,norfolk ,island ,pine40 ,claims made by roadside stand operators along ,highway #ff that the petrified wood offered for sale is 8beach walnut10 8cactus10 etc41 have no basis in fact4 ,two other types of petrified wood are found here in smaller amounts4 ,these are the ,woodworthia ,arizonica1 a cone-bearing tree somewhat similar to the ,araucaria and the ,schilderia ,adamanica1 a tree with peculiar radiating rays in the wood4 ,paleontologists are not sure where this latter kind belongs in systematic plant classification4 ,what happened during the millenniums that the logs lay buried in their ,chinle tombs8 ,how did these trees turn to stone8 ,most of our text books tell us that the petrification of wood is a replacement process4 ,bit by bit1 water removed wood tissue and in its place left a mineral deposit in exactly the same form as the original1 so that when the process had been completed there was no wood left but in its place an exact stone duplicate4 ,this theory was accepted for a very long time1 but recently some scientists were not satisfied with it because certain chemical actions that would have to occur during such a process were difficult to explain4 ,just prior to #aidj1 several scientists investigated the process1 and from their findings decided that the wood was not petrified by replacement but by the infiltration of mineral-bearing water into the wood and the deposition of this mineral in the air spaces within the wood tissue4 ,this process1 they believe1 continued until all of the microscopic spaces in the wood were filled solid with this deposit and the petrified log1 composed of #ih per cent by volume of mineral deposit and #b per cent cellulose and lignin wood tissue1 was the result4 ,the original wood tissue acted1 they think1 as a framework to hold the mineral deposit like the walls of a building would act if the rooms and spaces between the walls were filled in solid with liquid concrete4 ,this accounts for retention of the cell structure1 annual rings1 and other features of the original wood4 ,the petrification of wood has never been studied sufficiently1 and there are many questions for which satisfactory answers have not yet been advanced4 ,although woods in different localities have been petrified by other minerals1 the most common is silica4 ,in the case of this petrified wood1 the silica was deposited in an agatized non-crystalline form4 ,the normal color of the silica without mineral stain is a white or gray4 ,sometimes small amounts of other minerals were in the solution along with silica1 or in some cases were brought in during the millions of years of burial as a secondary deposit in the cracks1 checks1 or other openings in the petrified or partially petrified wood4 ,iron oxides in small quantities produced the great variety of shades of red1 brown1 and yellow4 ,the black color in most cases is due to manganese oxide or carbon4 ,thus1 the combination of minerals produced a rainbow of colors in the agatized wood4 ,whenever there were small checked places1 cracks1 or hollows in the wood1 we find that they are often either filled or lined with quartz crystals or occasionally with amethyst crystals4 ,the term 8chalcedony0 7pronounced kal-sed-nee7 is a broad one usually applied to any compact mass of silica free of definite color pattern1 but it is also frequently used to describe all forms of silica whether translucent or opaque1 and regardless of color4 ,agate1 therefore1 may be considered a variegated chalcedony4 ,agate is translucent and has a definite color or pattern4 ,jasper is opaque and may be either red1 brown1 yellow1 blue1 or green in color4 ,quartz minerals are harder than most types of steel1 and there are only about #cj other minerals that exceed it in hardness4 ,in the mineral scale of hardness1 quartz is rated at #g and diamond1 the hardest of all1 at #aj4 ,petrified wood weighs about #aff pounds per cubic foot4 8,who sawed these trees0 is one of the questions visitors frequently ask4 ,it is a natural query because most of the logs are cracked into sections1 in many instances of rather uniform length1 and each broken face is smooth enough to appear almost like a saw cut4 ,at first glance this does give the impression that someone1 possibly a ,paul ,bunyan with an enormous diamond-toothed saw1 had cut the logs into 8stove wood0 lengths4 ,although there may be some differences of opinion about how this fracturing occurred1 the present explanation by scientists is that most of this breakage took place during the period of uplift of this section of the country4 ,the gradual movement and elevation of the earth's crust caused numerous earthquakes4 ,the shock waves of the tremblor traveling through the earth set up vibrations which caused the deeply buried1 brittle1 petrified logs to crack4 ,the harmonic vibrations created by the rhythm of the regular shock waves caused the cracks to be rather regularly spaced4 ,at first these cracks were tiny1 but centuries later1 after the logs were exposed on the surface1 the weathering actions and the shifting and settling of the soil beneath them caused the cracks to widen and eventually the fractured sections separated4 ,occasionally breakage may also occur when soil washes out from under one end of a log and its weight causes it to sag and crack4 ,the normal fracture line of this material is at right angles to the lineal axis1 and the rather smooth face causes the broken surface to appear much like a saw cut4 ,polished wood sections that are exhibited in the ,rainbow ,forest ,museum show to best advantage the varied color pattern of this petrified wood4 ,the piece is first cut with either a diamond or carborundum saw4 ,then the sawed face is ground as smooth as possible on carborundum wheels of different grits4 ,when ground sufficiently smooth1 the final polish is given the surface with hard felt buffing wheels and a polishing compound4 ,due to the hardness of the petrified wood1 it takes about an hour to cut and polish a square inch1 hence is an expensive process4 ,some of the most colorful or 8picture wood0 specimens make very attractive and durable settings for rings1 pins1 and other jewelry4 ,fossil remains of many forms of animal life that existed here during ,triassic times also are found in the ,chinle deposits with the petrified wood4 ,some parts of skeletons were mineralized and preserved in much the same manner as was the wood4 ,the animals which lived where the trees accumulated were forms that normally inhabited muddy1 marshy river bottoms1 another indication of the type of environment here during that long-gone age4 ,largest of these animals was the ,phytosaur1 a crocodile-like reptile about #ah feet long and weighing nearly a ton4 ,nostrils were located on top of the head4 ,these reptiles were omnivorous feeders1 and with their webbed feet and long flattened tails were at home either on land or in the water4 ,the ,phytosaur was a distant relative of the ,dinosaur but became extinct before the ,dinosaur reached its peak of development4 ,another inhabitant of the swampy lowlands where ancient logs were stranded was the ,stegocephalian1 a primitive amphibian related to modern salamanders1 or mud puppies1 but of huge size4 ,they were heavy1 flattened creatures from six to nine feet long and probably weighed about #ejj to #fjj pounds4 ,their legs were very short1 and they moved about by dragging themselves over the swampy ground1 probably being carnivorous feeders4 ,the skull was almost completely solid and had openings only for the nostrils1 eyes1 and a peculiar third eye in the top which probably was capable of distinguishing movement or light1 but not color4 ,several types of fishes1 amphibians1 and small reptiles probably lived along the streams and in the quiet pools of those ancient marshes4 ,among them were lung-fishes whose teeth or 8dental plates0 are now found scattered through the badlands of the ,petrified ,forest4 ,large rushes1 or horsetails1 bordered the streams and matted the swamps4 ,their hollow stems grew to eight and ten inches in diameter and #cj to #dj feet tall4 ,at each joint were whorls of slender branches4 ,large1 broad-leaved ferns formed a striking contrast with the delicate foliage of the seed fern types4 ,club mosses probably grew in small clusters in sheltered places along the banks of the streams and pools4 ,how different this scene of millions of years ago was from our present-day landscape and modern plant and animal life4 ,the climate must have been at least sub-tropical then2 today it is semi-arid4 ,in contrast to the plants and animals of those ,triassic times living in swamps and marshes1 we now have plants and animals that are able to exist with a minimum of moisture4 ,the present ground-cover is seldom over three or four feet high1 but includes a wide variety of plants ranging from very small flowering herbs to the several species of gray-foliaged salt brush and other shrubs4 ,with suitable moisture1 the spring and fall wildflower displays are often very showy4 ,the early blooms of the chimaya1 phacelia1 and the large1 white1 evening primroses are soon followed by desert mallow2 vetch2 a small white daisy-like ,fleabane2 the large yellow tulip-like flowers of the mariposa or sego lily2 and as the season advances1 the paint brush2 asters2 snake weed2 golden aster2 rabbit brush2 and many others4 ,in contrast to the sluggish reptiles and amphibians in the ,triassic1 we now have the fleet pronghorn 7,american ,antelope72 occasional coyotes and bobcats1 porcupine1 prairie dogs1 rabbits1 and many of the smaller rodents4 ,several species of harmless snakes and an occasional rattlesnake2 slender1 striped1 long-tailed race runner lizards2 scaled lizards1 and the bright1 green-backed1 yellow-footed ,bailey ,collared ,lizard which frequently brings visitors hurrying in to inquire if it is poisonous4 ,it isn't6 ,several species of birds such as the ,desert ,horned ,larks and rock wrens make this their permanent home while many other species ranging in size from the tiny ,allan ,hummingbird to the mighty golden eagle either stay here during various parts of the year1 or pass through in the spring and fall migrations4 ,intermixed with the surface deposits of petrified wood and other remnants of the ancient ,triassic time are the much more recent remains of early men4 ,ruins of their homes1 fragments of their handiwork1 and examples of their arts are to be found in many locations4 ,these people were pre-,columbian ,pueblo ,indians1 ancestors of our modern ,pueblo ,indians1 and of the same type that inhabited the other pueblo and cliff-dwelling sites in the ,southwest4 ,it is probable that there was considerable trading carried on between the people of this area and those at other locations1 since many of the same pottery types are found throughout4 ,this somewhat desolate region was apparently fairly densely populated by little groups of farming ,indians4 ,with no survey or study of the monument area having been made1 more than #cjj ruin sites have been located and there are many others nearby4 ,these ruins of stone buildings are usually from one to a few rooms in size4 ,however1 one ruin near the ,puerco ,river ,ranger ,station is estimated to have had about #abe or more rooms4 ,it is built in the form of a hollow square about #ahj feet by #bcj feet1 around a plaza about #acj by #ahe feet4 ,probably two stories in height1 it could have housed nearly a hundred families4 ,a study of the pottery fragments from each site helps us to tell the approximate time that the particular site was occupied4 ,this time varies from about #ejj or #fjj ,a4,d4 to #adjj ,a4,d41 some being used over a longer period than others4 ,in most cases1 the buildings were constructed of pieces of sandstone1 but in a few instances the ,indians had an eye for color and used pieces of petrified wood which made a very substantial as well as colorful building4 8,agate ,house0 in the south part of the ,third ,forest is one example of such construction4 ,this was partially reconstructed in #aicd in the early ,pueblo style by the use of chunks of petrified wood from the heap of the ruins4 ,indians also used the petrified wood for making arrow-points and other tools and weapons4 ,these people practiced agriculture1 cultivating corn1 pumpkins1 and beans4 ,they probably wore simple clothing made of cotton cloth or the skins of wild animals4 ,they also made pottery4 ,tree-ring studies show that there was a great drought from #abge to #abii ,a4,d4 ,this apparently caused a great deal of shifting around among the ,pueblo people4 ,only a few villages in the ,petrified ,forest area were occupied during the fourteenth century4 ,it is not known whether the people were driven out by the predatory ,apaches or because of the drought4 ,where did these ,indians get water8 ,while there probably has not been any marked change in climate or rainfall since that time1 there may have been more springs and seeps along the cliffs4 ,it is possible that these failed during that great drought period4 ,pottery designs of these early ,indians show an artistic talent1 further indicated by the many petroglyphs on the sandstone cliffs and boulders throughout the area4 ,a petroglyph is a picture or design carved or pecked in the face of a rock4 ,these pictures are of figures1 geometric patterns1 and symbols in many cases similar to those found on the pottery4 ,some represent hands1 feet1 human figures and shapes of mammals1 birds1 or lizards4 ,these appear to be simply a collection of drawings made by various ,indians over a period of time4 ,in some cases1 they were clan symbols1 each passerby adding his own much like a visitor's register such as we have today or a collection of initials or names unthinking people carve on trees or scratch on rocks4 ,unfortunately an occasional person nowadays1 thoughtless of those that follow1 either destroys this ancient art work or defaces it by adding his name or initials to those of an earlier man4 8,newspaper ,rock0 is the most spectacular group of petroglyphs found on the monument4 ,homes and tribal lands of modern ,indians are located in areas to the south1 east1 and north of ,petrified ,forest ,national ,monument--homes that were established in some cases before the first ,spanish explorer entered the ,southwest4 ,to the south in the ,white ,mountains are the ,apaches4 ,apparently both the ,apache and the ,navajo entered the ,southwest only a short time before the ,spaniards came4 ,being nomads and predatory in nature1 they soon struck terror in the hearts of the peaceful ,pueblo people and caused many of them to abandon their homes to seek more secluded and protected sites4 ,to the east are the ,zuni1 a ,pueblo people that some of the early occupants of the ,petrified ,forest may have joined4 ,when the ,spaniards came1 these ,zuni were living in seven pueblos that became known as the historic 8,seven ,cities of ,cibola40 ,to the north are the ,navajo and ,hopi peoples4 ,arizona's famous ,painted ,desert forms a long curving border to the ,navajo ,reservation--a border extending from near the ,new ,mexico line westward to the ,colorado ,river northwest of ,cameron4 ,a spectacular portion of it lies in the northern part of ,petrified ,forest ,national ,monument4 ,the ,painted ,desert is a colorful1 often fantastically eroded badlands of ,bentonitic beds stained with shades of red1 orange1 yellow1 blue1 purple1 and brown by iron minerals4 ,arid or semi-arid with only a sparse vegetative cover1 these soft beds are subject to rapid erosion during ,arizona's season of torrential rains4 ,the ,painted ,desert formed a barrier behind which the early ,hopi people withdrew to establish their famed mesa-top villages1 including ,oraibi which has been continuously occupied since about #cej years before the discovery of ,america4 ,these people still live in their several mesa-top villages1 their reservation surrounded by that of the ,navajo1 their former enemies1 who now lead a peaceful1 semi-nomadic life4 ,there is much more to the fascinating story of the ,petrified ,forest as told to us by naturalists of the national monument4 ,few visitors take time from their mad rush to 8get somewhere quickly0 to make the effort to understand the intricate and devious ways of ,nature1 of which 8,time is the essence10 resulting in the spectacular and brilliant display1 this glittering jewel of the desert1 the ,petrified ,forest4 ,stopping only long enough to marvel briefly1 many of them feel the urge to take something with them1 some concrete reminder of the colorful scene1 some bits of petrified wood4 ,those who successfully 8get past0 the checking station ranger with their illicit souvenirs usually lose these trinkets1 or find them turned to sharp goads which prod their consciences in later years4 ,how fortunate those visitors who1 at the expense of an hour or so of time1 gain an understanding of what lies behind the scenery at the ,petrified ,forest1 thereby developing an appreciation of the work of ,nature and of ,god as exemplified here4 ,these people take with them1 not merely a souvenir1 but an experience which they will treasure and enjoy throughout the remainder of their lives4 ,illustration3 ,the ,painted ,desert from the ,monument's rim drive4 ,photo by ,josef ,muench4 ,illustration3 ,a typical scene in ,petrified ,forest4 ,national ,park ,service ,photo4 ,illustration3 ,painted ,desert from the ,painted ,desert ,inn4 ,photo by ,josef ,muench4 ,illustration3 ,navajo ,national ,monument4 ,deep in the heart of the ,navajo country is an area of cliffs1 canyons1 and prehistoric ruins4 ,one of the largest is ,betatakin4 ,photo by ,martin ,litton4 ,illustration3 ,sunset ,crater4 ,sunset ,crater ,national ,monument1 near ,flagstaff1 comprises an area that was the scene of volcanic activities hundreds of years ago4 ,photo by ,norman ,wallace4 ,illustration3 ,tuzigoot--,the hilltop home of an ancient1 peaceful farming people1 near ,clarkdale1 has been excavated4 ,national ,park ,service ,photo4 ,illustration3 ,canyon ,de ,chelly ,national ,monument contains within its borders ,canyon ,de ,chelly and ,canyon del ,muerto1 as well as many ruins4 ,it is near ,chinle4 ,photo by ,j4 ,h4 ,mc,gibbeny4 ,illustration3 ,hoover 7,boulder7 ,dam and ,lake ,mead provide a fine recreational area along the ,arizona-,nevada border4 ,photo by ,herb ,mc,loughlin4 ,illustration3 ,grand ,canyon ,national ,park4 ,the ,grand ,canyon of the mighty ,colorado ,river defies efforts to describe it adequately4 ,photo by ,a4 ,c4 ,jackson4 ,illustration3 ,wupatki ruins in ,wupatki ,national ,monument1 one of the most spectacular pueblos in ,northern ,arizona4 ,photo by ,george ,k4 ,geyer4 ,illustration3 ,walnut ,canyon4 ,in the walls of this canyon1 near ,flagstaff1 under overhanging ledges are a series of prehistoric ,indian ruins4 ,national ,park ,service ,photo4 ,illustration3 ,montezuma ,castle1 overlooking ,beaver ,creek in the ,verde ,valley1 is one of the most beautiful cliff dwellings to be found in this country4 ,photo by ,ray ,manly4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,silently corrected a few palpable typos4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4