National Monument Arizona
Walnut Canyon National Park Service . U. S. Department of the lntenor
Reconstructing the Sinagua Past
It is difficult for us to know exactly how the and agricultural areas. Study of the rimtop Sinagua lived. They left no discernible his and canyon dwelling sites reveals much tory when they departed the Flagstaff about settlement patterns. region sometime before 1250. In the 1880s, pothunters removed many Sinagua posses The Sinagua story has been pieced togeth sions, dynamiting some of the cliff-dwelling er by examining objects, comparing them walls to allow in more light for their search. w ith the ways of prehistoric groups else where in the Southwest, a·nd learning the To reconstruct what life must have been oral traditions of the Hopi, the probable like, archeologists and anthropologists rely descendants of the Sinagua. Though on what survived the centuries: building incomplete, this story tells us a good bit ruins, ceramic fragments, tools, ornaments, about life in Walnut Canyon.
The canyon rims, rilla agua di'et as cul!ivated tively flat with pockets crops: More than 2o of deep soil, were th& species of plants that main farmlands. Even could have been used in the semi-arid cli for food and medicine mate, water was avail still grow in the can• able most of the time, yon. Among these are though Walnut Creek wild grape, serviceber probably did not flow ry, elderberry, yucca, year-round. To con and Arizona black wal· serve rainwater and, nut. On the rims, edi more importantly, to ble wild plants were collect soil, the people fewer but no less built check dams and sought-after. The terraces. Their major Sinagua also hunted crops were a drought deer, bighorn sheep, resistant variety of and an assortment of corn and several kinds smaller animals. of beans and squash.
Recent evidence shows that edible wild plants were just as imp~rtant to the Sin-
Canyon Homes
Walnut Canyon homes ed them together with were generally situated a gold-colored clay on cliffsides facing found in deposits else• south and east to take where in the canyon. advantage of warmth Wooden beams rein• and sunlight. A few forced the doorways. sites faced north and Finally, the walls were west; these may have plastered with clay been occupied during inside and out. the warmer months. Although the cliff dwel· lings are the most visi• ble ruins in the park, other archeological sites such as pithous• es and free-standing pueblos dot the canyon rims.
Archeologists believe that it was Sinagua women who built the homes. The dwellings were made from shal low caves eroded out of the limestone cliffs by water and wind. To form walls, builders gathered limestone rocks, shaped them roughly, then cement-
Plantlife Zones of Walnut Ca~yon Walnut Canyon has an unusual array of bio- . . "';_": ' \ · logical communities, each character- _ _ ~ - ·,711_ . . -:::,,, ized by different temperatures and • · ·•:-/yJ!l ~ ..-<> plantlife, and determined largely by · • · -_J. _,i7 "h< ·•: - Ponderosa pine/Gambel oak forest the amount of sunlight the community .. '· , t · receives. These plantlife zones are / - ;,, , le ,. , - Pinyon/ Juniper woodland miniature versions of the zones span- _J. II \ . , . ~ - Upper Sonoran desert
ning the western part of the continent ;-" 0 ~, ~ • ~ - Mixed conifer forest
from Mexico to Canada- all within the • ••· ; ...;;::- 0 canyon's 20-mile length and 400-foot ·, . -~J- Riparian bottomlands depth. As you walk the Island Trail you \"t &. ,,. will travel from the Upper Sonoran desert, , ,_,.J ·4 with yucca and pricklypear cactus, to the "'\" . . cooler, moister Pacific Northwestern • • . forests of shade-tolerant shrubs and mixed conifers (including Douglas fir). Elsewhere in the canyon and on the rims are pinyon/ juniper woodland and ponderosa pine/gam bel oak forest, found throughout the south western United States. At the bottom is the riparian (riverbank) community, which includes boxelder and the Arizona black walnut for which the canyon was named.
·.,,,,. Tom Bean National Monument I 29.6:W 15 Arizona • I P rk Service . Nationa a t of the lntenor M1l1ut C11go1 N1tio1al Mo1une1t, Ar ... U. S. Departmen ARIZONA DEPT. OF LI BRARY ARCHIVES & PUBLIC RECORDS JUN 3 1996 U.S. DEPOSITORY DOCUMENT Clockwise trom op: Sinagua cliff home in north-facing wall; Kaibab limestone layers resting on Coconino sandstone; boxelders and Arizona black walnut on canyon floor; black and-white bowl obtained in trade; locally produced redware olla. Tom Bean (bowl); George H.H. Huey (olla) Dan Peha Dennis Flaherty The People Without Water Dwellings on the cliff faces, sheltered in caves, were ground villages at Wupatki and Elden Pueblo date from home to Walnut Canyon's inhabitants more than 800 this time, as do Walnut Canyon's cliff dwellings, built years ago. Inside the canyon and throughout the pine between 1125 and 1250. The canyon builders took forests on its rims, these people made their living by advantage of natural recesses in the limestone walls, farming, hunting deer and small game, gathering an where water flowing for millions of years eroded the soft assortment of useful plants, and trading. The people er rock layers, creating shallow caves. are today known as the Sinagua-Spanish for "without water"-whose name is a tribute to their ability to turn These were also the years of the Sinagua culture's great a relatively dry region into a homeland. est geographical extent. Settlements ranged from the eastern slopes of the San Francisco Peaks northeast to Though the Sinagua were the canyon's only permanent the Little Colorado River and south to the Verde River residents, artifacts found here indicate that they were valley. Trade items found in Sinagua dwellings include preceded by Archaic peoples who traveled throughout turquoise from the Santa Fe area, seashell ornaments the Southwest thousands of years ago and probably from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California, and occupied the canyon seasonally. These nomadic people macaw feathers from Mexico. These goods may have were long gone by the time the Sinagua appeared in the been acquired by Sinagua intermediaries who arranged rugged volcanic terrain northeast of present-day Flag trade between other groups of people. staff sometime before A.D. 600. Perhaps the Sinagua migrated from elsewhere, or perhaps they broke away The Sinagua lived in the cliff dwellings for little more than from a local group and developed a distinct way of life. 100 years, then departed for reasons that are still un Like earlier inhabitants, they were probably attracted by clear. By about 1250 they occupied new villages a few the region's abundance of plants and animals. But while miles southeast along Anderson Mesa. It is generally the Sinagua took advantage of the same wild food believed that the Sinagua were eventually assimilated sources as their predecessors, they were also farmers. into Hopi culture. The Hopi today call their ancestors the Hisatsinom ("people of long ago"); their tradition sug The Sinagua built one-room pithouses near their agricul gests that these early migrations were part of a religious tural fields, where they employed dry-farming techniques quest to have all clans come together. to grow corn and other crops. Archeologists once thought that debris from the eruption of nearby Sunset Sinagua homes remained largely undisturbed until the Crater in 1064-65 made the land more fertile, creating a 19th century. In the 1880s the railroad brought souvenir prehistoric land rush to the San Francisco volcanic field hunters to the ancient dwellings. Theft and destruction and bringing change to Sinagua life. Recent findings dis prompted local efforts to preserve the canyon and soon credit this theory; the Sinagua were more likely influ drew national support. In 1915 Walnut Canyon was enced by increased rainfall, new water-conserving farm declared a national monument. Nearly 800 years have ing practices, trade, and a general population increase in passed since Sinagua voices and laughter could be the Southwest. This period after the eruption, when heard. Today, as you explore the trails, imagine the can Sinagua culture flourished, is marked by a change in yon alive with people carrying food and water, greeting architecture from the pithouse style. The large, above- one another and building their cliffside homes. Sinagua people amve Sunset Crater is creat Sinagua depart Flag Antonio De Espejo Walnut Canyon m San Francisco vol ed ·n several volcanic staff area for new opens Spanish explo becomes a popular canic region northeast eruptions; Sinagua ife villages to the south. ration of northern destination for sou F staff. begins to change. Arizona. venir hunters. 600 1064-65 1100 1250 1400 1583 1880s 191& Sinagua begin to build Sinagua have probably Walnut Canyon is pro cliff dwellings in Wal been assimilated into claimed a national nut Canyon. Hopi culture. monument. About Your Visit Hours and facilities Two paved foot trails The 0.7-mile Rim Trail For your safety and Open fires are not There is an entrance begin at the visitor overlooks the canyon the park's protection allowed. • Stay on the Administraton Wal fee t o the park. The center. The Island Trail, and takes you by the All plants, animals, and trails when hiking; off nut Canyon National park is open every day a 0.9-mile loop, passes ruins of Sinagua rim archeological objects trail hiking is allowed Monument is part of of the year except 25 of the cliff dwelling top structures. within the park are only with permission the National Park Sys December 25. Hours rooms and takes you protected by federal from the superinten tem, one of more than are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; through different plant The park has a picnic laws; there are sub dent. • Pets are not 360 parks that are im hours may be extend life zones (see map on area. Campgrounds stantial fines for dam permitted in the visitor portant examples of ed in summer. Remem the reverse side of this are available nearby. age to or removal of center or on the trails. our country's natural ber that this part of brochure). There is a Lodging and restau these resources. • Ele and cultural heritage. Arizona is on Mountain 185-foot climb (240 rants can be found in vation at the canyon Location Walnut Address inquiries to: Standard Time year stairs) back to the can the Flagstaff area. rim is nearly 7,000 feet; Canyon National Mon Superintendent, Walnut round. yon rim. be careful when at ument is 10 miles east Canyon National Mon tempting strenuous of downtown Flagstaff. ument, Walnut Canyon Stop first at the visitor activity such as climb From 1-40, take exit Road, Flagstaff, AZ center, which has an in9 stairs. • Drink plen 204 and follow the 86004-9705, or call information desk, ex ty ot water to prevent entrance road to the 520-526-3367. hibits, a bookstore, dehydration. • Picnics visitor center. and a panoramic view. Visitor Center are permitted only in to exit 204, (&· designated areas. <,GPO:199&--387-038/00261 3mi 5km Visitor Carter to downtown Ftagstaff: 10mi 16km Pueblo and Pithouse Ruins Visitor Center 6690ft 2039m, □,10 - .., • \ Pic nic area \ :_- I .- ~ ----<~ I l ,~~ I / I ,~,,.:. COCON I NO NATIONAL FOREST / / / I .I. I \ Island Trail \ --\· .--· I Canyon floor elevation 6340ft ___,,' ! ___ .r 1932m WALNUT ANYON NATIONAL MONUMEN North (D 0 0. 1 Kilometer 0 .5 0 0. 1Mile 0.5 Island Trail, a 0.9-mi!e (1 .5-lolometer) round-tnp E==3rrail Cliff dwelling ruin paved Interpret,ve trail, [::::=J requires a ciimb of 185 feet (56 meters) via 240 steps. F-.-3Overlook