The cataclysmic explosion of the Sunset Crater volcano more than 840 years ago devastated nearby settlements with fury and fire, burying their homes and farms in a rain of ash and cinders. Thousands of people fled their destroyed homes in awe, terror and disarray.
But hereâs the thing.
That same titanic eruption laid the groundwork for a population boom that led to the construction of the thriving complexes in Walnut Canyon and Wupatki that still draw visitors today.
And thatâs a useful lesson for a new civilization, battered by drought and climate change and staggering through a global pandemic.