Three Fingers Ruin
26 September 2009
A well-preserved cliff dwelling high in the cliffs above the floor of Hammond Canyon, near the triple-spire often called Three Fingers. Eric visited this ruin during the one-night backpack in the canyon.
After the trip, we discovered that the lower part of Hammond Canyon, near Three Fingers Ruin, was the site of a probable "great house" community and "great kiva." Great house sites have an association with Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, and this would have been the northern-most of all great house communities. They were built and occupied in this area of SE Utah from the eleventh century into the early thirteenth century, after Chaco's power had faded. The presence of a great house community in Hammond Canyon gives the cliffside ruin a signifance we were not aware of at the time.
Lisa stayed down below while Eric climbed up the steep and unstable slope. Near the top the ruin was clearly visible as one large room, three small rooms or granaries, and a few small granaries further along in the crack.
This photo gives an idea of the ruin's context, and what it might have been like to live up here.
The structures are in very good condition. You can see that the masonry of the smaller rooms is covered with plaster on the outside. This is unusual; or at least you don't see it often because the plaster coatings of most other structures has fallen off. The interiors of all the structures are also plaster-coated.
The crack in which the ruin is situated goes back into the cliff quite far. There's actually a little courtyard area behind the main room. From here you can see the remains of a fourth small room, hidden behind one of the others.
The interior of the big "living room" feels quite spacious, and is well plastered. This is the "back door" into the room.
This is the view from the "living room." The rock spires are Three Fingers; behind them is the south rim of the canyon.