Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
Sculpture at the museum
Location of Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Utah
Location	San Juan County, Utah, United States
Nearest city	Blanding
Coordinates
Area	6.65 acres (2.69 ha)
Established	1974
Visitors	14286 (in 2011)
Governing body	Utah State Park
Edge of Cedars Indian Ruin
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	11.6 acres (4.7 ha)
NRHP Reference #	71000853
Added to NRHP	August 12, 1971

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum is a state park and museum of Utah, USA, located in Blanding. It is an Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site, a museum, and an archaeological repository. Cowboys from the nearby town of Bluff camped there in the late 19th century and called the site Edge of the Cedars because it sits on the edge of a natural boundary, separating a heavily forested region and a treeless landscape to the south. Cedar is a term locals use for the Utah juniper tree.

Because of its archaeological significance, the site was designated a State Historical Monument in 1970 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Edge of Cedars Indian Ruin in 1971. In 1974, the Utah Navajo Development Council donated the 6.65-acre (2.69 ha) site to the Division of Utah State Parks and Recreation. Shortly thereafter the Utah Legislature enabled the establishment of Edge of the Cedars State Park as a museum of Indian history and culture. The museum opened in 1978. The archaeological repository was completed in 1994. Today, the facility serves as the primary repository for archaeological materials excavated from public lands in southeast Utah, and includes archives and a research library.

In August 2014 the museum and state park will host the Pecos Conference, the annual gathering of Southwest archaeologists.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the website of the Division of Utah State Parks and Recreation.

External links

• Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum