Wupatki National Monument

From Freepedia

Wupatki
Image:LocMap Wupatki.png
Designation	National Monument
Location	Arizona USA
Nearest City	Flagstaff
Coordinates	35° 33′ 56″ N, 111° 23′ 13″ W
Area	35,254 acres 14 266 ha
Date of Establishment	unknown
Visitation	unknown
Governing Body	National Park Service
IUCN category	V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)

Wupatki National Monument is an area of north-central Arizona, near Flagstaff. Rich in American Indian ruins, the Momument is administered by the National Park Service in close conjunction with the nearby Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

The many settlement sites scattered throughout the monument were built by the Ancient Pueblo Peoples, more specifically the Sinagua, Cohonina, and Kayenta Anasazi. A major population influx began soon after the eruption of Sunset Crater in the 11th century, which blanketed the area with volcanic ash; this improved agricultural productivity and the soil's ability to retain water. Based on a careful survey of archaeological sites conducted in the 1980s, an estimated 2000 immigrants moved into the area during the century following the eruption.

Agriculture was based mainly on corn and squash raised from the arid land without irrigation.

The dwellings, the walls of many of which still stand, were constructed from flat red stones held together with mortar. Each settlement was constructed as a single building, sometimes with scores of rooms. The largest settlement on monument territory is the Wupatki Ruin, "Big House" in the Hopi language, built around a natural rock outcropping. This ruin is believed to be the area's tallest and largest structure for its time period. The monument also contain ruins identified as a "ball court," similar to the courts found in Hohokam ruins in southern Arizona and Meso-America. This is the northernmost example of this kind of structure. Other major sites are Wukoki and The Citadel.

Links

• National Park Service
• Wupatki National Monument - National Parks Gallery