- Terraced Rooms
Notice how people shaped their lives to this land. Sun, water, wind, and earth influenced decisions. Using the red sandstone outcrop as a backbone, and its naturally fractured blocks as bricks, masons laid stone rooms up and down the length of the formation. High walls on the north and west sides blunted prevailing winds. Terraced rooms to the south and east bathed in winter sun. Flat roofs served as water systems, collecting precipitation and directing it to storage pots. Wupatki Pueblo stood three stories high in places. Double walls were filled with a rubble core and were about 6 feet (2 meters) high; roofs were constructed with timbers, cross-laid with smaller beams or reeds, and finished with grass and mud. There were no exterior doorways at ground level. Built out in the open, Wupatki is far more typical of 12th century structures than a cliff dwelling. Cliff dwellings make up only a fraction of known southwestern archeological sites.
"...The family, the dwelling house and the field are inseparable, because the woman is the heart of these, and they rest with her... The man builds the house but the woman is the owner, because she repairs and preserves it." -A Hopi view of the community, presented to "the Washington Chiefs," 1894 - Test Trenches
Description: Test trenches through the ballcourt at Wupatki Pueblo. Date: 1960s. Collection: Wupatki National Monument (Catalog No. WUPA 24362). - The Blowhole
This intriguing geological feature was unearthed during the 1965 excavations of the Wupatki Ballcourt. After its discovery, the National Park Service bricked in the opening, giving the blowhole the appearance it has today and allowing visitors the experience of feeling the rush of air from the opening. It is unknown if the people of Wupatki were aware of the blowhole, and if they were, what significance the feature may have held to prehistoric people. - The Blowhole Interpretative Panel
This blowhole – a crevice in the earth’s crust that appears to breathe – is one of several found in the Wupatki area. It connects to an underground passage – size, depth, and complexity unknown – called an earthcrack. Earthcracks resulted from earthquake activity in the Kaibab Limestone bedrock and have enlarged over time. Archaeologists have yet to uncover any evidence of prehistoric structures or uses at the blowhole. Its connection to the Wupatki Pueblo remains a mystery. Today, the Hopi descendants of these early people, refer to the blowhole as the breath of “Yaapontsa,” the wind spirit. They and other American Indians attach a spiritual significance to these features. - The Crew and the Car
Description: The Field Crew (L to R): Charlie R. Steen, Leslie Smithson. Robert S. Harris, Dale S. King, Walter Hyde, and Ross Sansom. The crew worked at Nalakihu from December 1933 to April 1934. Date: 1933-1934. Collection: Wupatki National Monument (Catalog No. WUPA 19730). - The Ground has to Breath
- The Peshlakais
- The-Dine
- Tump Line in a Tapestry Weave
Cultural Period: Ancestral Puebloan Description: Section of a tump line (a strap crossing the forehead or chest to aid in carrying a load on the back) from Wupatki Pueblo. The strap is cotton yarn on yucca warp, and is decorated with a polychrome design in blue and two shades of brown. Since cotton couldn't be grown at higher elevations, it was likely acquired from the Hohokam further south. Dimensions: 10.0 cm (L) x 3.25 cm (W) (3.94 in x 1.28 in). Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument (catalog card). - Turkey Feather and Rabbit Fur Cordage
Cultural Period: Ancestral Puebloan (Turkey House, constructed approx. A.D. 980) Description: Yucca cordage twined with turkey feathers and/or rabbit fur and knotted in two places. Dimensions: 51 centimeters long (20.0 inches). Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument (catalog card); on loan from the Museum of Northern Arizona. - Turquoise and Shell Necklace
Cultural Period: Ancestral Puebloan (Wupatki Pueblo, A.D. 1130 – A.D. 1260) Description: Shell and turquoise necklace from Wupatki Pueblo, restrung on brown thread. The necklace includes 48 shell beads, including the Conus sp. pendant, and 15 turquoise beads. Dimensions: Approximately 15 cm long. Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument (catalog card). - Turquoise Bracelet
Cultural Period: Ancestral Puebloan Description: Turquoise bracelet. Provenience unknown. Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument. - Turquoise Pendant
Cultural Period: Ancestral Puebloan (Wupatki Pueblo, A.D. 1130 – A.D. 1260) Description: Rectangular turquoise pendant from Wupatki Pueblo. Dimensions: 3 cm (H) x 2 cm (W). Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument (catalog card). - Tusayan Black-on-red Canteen
Cultural Period: Ancestral Puebloan/Kayenta (ca. A.D. 1065-1200) Description: Complete Tusayan Black-on-red canteen found in Big Hawk Valley, Wupatki National Monument. Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument (catalog card). - Tusayan Corrugated Mug
Cultural Period: Ancestral Puebloan/Kayenta (A.D. 1030 - A.D. 1300+) Description: Gray Tusayan Corrugated mug found near Wupatki National Monument. This mug is an example of Kayenta-style pottery. Dimensions: 11.0 cm (H) x 6.8 cm (rim diameter) (4.33 x 2.68 in). Collection: On display at Wupatki National Monument (catalog card).