Wupatki National Monument

Wupatki National Monument
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Location	Coconino County, Arizona, USA
Nearest city	Flagstaff, ArizonaNearest city: Flagstaff, Arizona
Coordinates	35°33′56″N 111°23′13″W / 35.56556°N 111.38694°W / 35.56556; -111.38694Coordinates: 35°33′56″N 111°23′13″W / 35.56556°N 111.38694°W / 35.56556; -111.38694
Area	35,254 (142 km²)
Established	December 9, 1924 Established: December 9, 1924
Visitors	493,621 (in 2002)
Governing body	National Park Service

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

Wupatki was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.^[1]

Wukoki Ruins complex

The many settlement sites scattered throughout the monument were built by the Ancient Pueblo People, 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 Meso-America and in the Hohokam ruins of southern Arizona. This is the northernmost example of this kind of structure. This site also contains a geological blowhole. Other major sites are Wukoki and The Citadel.

Wupatki is called Anaasází Bikin^[2] in Navajo) which translates as Houses of the Enemies.

Wupatki Ruins

Wupatki Ruin Paronama

Wupatki Ruin Ball Court

Box Canyon Ruins

References

External links

• Media related to Wupatki National Monument at Wikimedia Commons
• Official NPS website: Wupatki National Monument
• American Southwest, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary

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