- Yucca Sandals
Cultural Period: Ancestral Puebloan (Turkey House, constructed A.D. 980, and Wupatki Pueblo, A.D. 1130 – A.D. 1260) Description: Woven yucca sandals. The sandal on the left is from Turkey House in Tsegi Canyon, Navajo National Monument, and the one on the right is from Wupatki Pueblo. Dimensions: Left, 17.0 (L) x 8.5 (W) cm; Right, 23.0 (L) x 11.0 (W) cm. Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument (catalog card 1, catalog card 2). - Yucca Cordage
Cultural Period: Unknown Description: Two-strand yucca cordage found in the vicinity of Wupatki National Monument. Dimensions: 29.0 (L) x 0.3 (diameter) cm. Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument (catalog card). - Yucca
- Wupatkis Diverse Society
- Wupatki-Pueblo-Through-Time
- Wupatki Trade Items
- Wupatki Stabilization
Description: Crew stabilizing and reconstructing walls at Wupatki Pueblo. Date: 1930s. Collection: Wupatki National Monument (Catalog No. WUPA 20041). - Wupatki Stabilization
Description: Crew stabilizing and reconstructing walls at Wupatki Pueblo. Date: 1930s. Collection: Wupatki National Monument (Catalog No. WUPA 20040). - Wupatki Pueblo and Surrounding Features
"For its time and place there was no other pueblo like Wupatki. It was in all probability the tallest, largest, and perhaps the richest and most influential pueblo in the area." -E. Brennan and C. Downum, from Report of Findings Prestabilization Documentation for Wupatki Pueblo
People gathered here during the 1100s and what began as family housing grew into this 100-room pueblo with a tower, community room, and ceremonial ballcourt. Located near the crossroads of east-west and north-south travel routes, the pueblo evolved to serve a community heavily engaged not only in farming but also in ceremony, trade, and crafts specialization. By 1190, as many as 2,000 people lived within a day's walk and Wupatki Pueblo was the largest building for at least 50 miles. Archaeologists are challenged to define a cultural identity for Wupatki Pueblo with its intriguing blend of Kayenta and Sinagua architectural styles and more than 100 pottery types. - Wupatki Pueblo 1930s vs. 2011
Compare the images above. The rooms now visible were buried beneath rubble cleared during excavation beginning in 1933.
When occupied, this mud and stone building would have required periodic maintenance. Once people departed, natural forces prevailed - mortar eroded, roofs collapsed, walls tumbled. What you see today is an excavated building, heavily stabilized to postpone deterioration. The modern iron beam and plate visible here support the upper walls. The low walls exhibit Portland cement, used from the 1930s to 60s, and new stabilization mortars that more closely duplicate original materials. Although walls stand in their original location, virtually all the mortar you see is modern. Stabilization has compromised the historical architecture, but helps an excavated building withstand natural and human-induced erosion.
You are one of hundreds of thousands of visitors - please, do not lean, sit, or walk on any walls. - Wupatki National Monument
- Wupatki Geology and Climate
- Wupatki Clovis Point
Description: Isolated Clovis fluted projectile point found northeast of West Mesa and east of the Citadel Sink in Wupatki National Monument, Arizona. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) identified the the material as Black Tank obsidian, the source of which is located more than 50 miles from Wupatki National Monument. The images on the left are of the original projectile point material. The images on the right are of the same point "smoked" with ammonium chloride to intensify the flake scars. Dimensions: 55.4 mm (L) x 27.8 mm (max. W) x 8.8 (max. T). Base width is 25.2 mm with a basal concavity depth of 4.3 mm. Both lateral margins are ground. Collection: On display at the Wupatki National Monument Visitor Center. Additional Information: Christian E. Downum (1993) Evidence of a Clovis Presence at Wupatki National Monument. Kiva 58(4):487-494. - Wupatki
Description: Newly-reconstructed north roomblock at Wupatki Pueblo, 1934. View is looking east. An upright wooden post has been added to help stabilize a large boulder around which rooms were built. Crew member is standing atop the reconstructed roof. Date: 1934. Collection: Wupatki National Monument (Catalog No. WUPA 20039). - Wukoki Pueblo
Location: Wukoki, Wupatki National Monument. The pueblo was built and occupied between A.D. 1120 and A.D. 1210.