Circles of stone, such as the one pictured above ,covered large portions of this site in Val Verde County. Archeologists believe the area was the site of a large encampment in historic times; they have identified more than 125 wickiup (small shelter) rings and 7 large tipi rings. According to historic accounts, native peoples lodged stones around the supports for the shelters (branches , in the case of wickiups, and tall wooden poles, in the case of tipis) to hold them firmly in place. Photo by Steve Black. Click to enlarge.
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