The Treasure of Huerfano Butte
by Jim Gressinger on Jan. 07, 2012, under Day/Weekend Adventures, Native American Culture, Scenic Back Roads
Huerfano Butte South of Tucson
In January 1965, while picnicking on the southern face of Huerfano Butte south of Tucson in the Santa Rita Mountains, Tani Bahti found an incredible cache of Hohokam jewelry dating to about 1100 CE.
She originally thought she had discovered a small grinding stone. But it was a pottery jar containing:
- 1,212 beads
- 240 pendants
- 2 domed beads
- 2 frog pendants
- 1 flat bead
- 1 pendant fragment
All of the above were carved from turquoise. In additions, carved from shells:
- 3 carved glycimeris shell birds [A glycimeris is a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Glycymerididae.]
- 1 shell head
- 36 perforated glycimeris shells
A hundred yards or so from the base of the west face of the butte is a seasonal water hole. On one side of the waterhole are about two-dozen petroglyphs.
Tani Bahti presented the entire cache to the Arizona State Museum where it resides today.
I mention this fantastic discovery and petroglyph site because in the next week or two, my friend and barber, Beverly, will be going there and will send us a full report including photographs.
