Alkali Ridge

Alkali Ridge contains the archaeological remains of a village scattered over a 240 x 500-foot area. The extensive ceramic collection gathered at the site suggests intermittent occupation of the ridge over several centuries. The remains include pit dwellings, which are regarded as the earliest forms of Ancestral Puebloan architecture, as well as multi-story rectangular rooms and granaries. The architectural transition from pit dwellings to aboveground structures indicates the shift from a nomadic, hunter-gatherer society to an agrarian one, and the village itself represents a major change in settlement size in the Northern San Juan area. Several mesa top sites, dating from the Basket Maker III period to the Pueblo II periods, as well as numerous cliff dwellings located just below the canyon rim, are also present at Alkali Ridge. These structures were incorporated into the steep cliffs, providing natural fortification, and were supplemented by manmade walls and roofs.*

Alkali Ridge is located outside of Blanding, Utah in San Juan County and was added to the National Historic Register (#66000740) on October 15, 1966.