Changes to Come

<br>Buried under Sunset Crater's lava and cinders are perhaps dozens of pithouses. Those excavated revealed few artifacts; even building timbers had been removed. This suggests people had ample warning of the impending eruption.<br><br> The changed environment forced new adaptations, which included migration from the area. Those who stayed nearby had to adapt their traditional agricultural technology to lower elevations and cinder-covered land.<br><br> Wherever we live, changes occur around us. Some changes are only visible if we pay close attention; others demand our full attention for survival.<br><br> [Photo and illustration captions]<br><br> The 1943 eruption of Parícutin in Mexico (pictured above) is the modern day equivalent of the Sunset eruption, providing eyewitness accounts and analogies.<br><br> The Sunset eruption began in a 'curtain of fire' eruption, like the one in Hawaii (background image). Then, like Parícutin, the cinder cone grew and lava flowed from the base of the cone.<br><br> Pithouses like this were the early dwellings of indigenous farming groups who lived in the area from about the year 500 until 1300. Archeologists attribute this architectural style to the <i>Sinagua</i> culture.