Artifacts untouched at Ariz. bombing ranges

There are places here where the desert floor is so speckled with artifacts, it is difficult to find a step that will not fracture history.

In a place called Lago Seco, pieces of pottery, many more than 800 years old, glisten in the morning sun. Stone tools and arrowheads are covered with only a thin layer of sand.

Then in the howling silence, a massive cloud of dirt and sand rises from the ground. Moments later, a concussive blast rolls out of Manned Range 4.

The bomb was dropped from a jet neither seen nor heard.

War games and live fire are expected on this military bombing range.

But there are also delicate reminders — cultural traces — of a people who lived here beginning around 10,000 B.C.

This desert, both severe and beautiful, is home to some of the best-preserved archaeological sites in the Southwest.

They remain because the military — with an arsenal of overwhelming force — practices its craft with an eye on preserving history on the nearly 3,000 square miles of desert.