Arizona, Coconino County, Walnut Canyon National Monument
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Most rooms in this community did not house people. Archeologists think many rooms, like the one to your left, were used to store tools, food, and water. Residents could have stored a 100-day water supply without much difficulty, given large pottery vessels and the abundant storage rooms found in the canyon.
The larger rooms here are typical of living spaces, where people slept and sought shelter from bad weather. Family size is unknown, but several people probably lived together in one room. Most work took place outside, weather permitting.
As you continue around the bend, look for the remains of a retaining wall along the canyon edge, constructed to create a "patio" workspace.
[Illustration captions read]
These cut-away illustrations offer a glimpse of various room functions, and how uses may have changed over time.
Look for an outline of a doorway between two rooms. It was blocked off while the rooms were in use.
——————
When undisturbed, the types of artifacts and where they are found reveal much about the common activities of life 800 years ago.
In one of these rooms, archeologists recovered knives, sandals, shaped stone cylinders, and tools for making pottery and crafting arrowshafts.
(Environment • Man-Made Features • Native Americans) Includes location, directions, 7 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
Most rooms in this community did not house people. Archeologists think many rooms, like the one to your left, were used to store tools, food, and water. Residents could have stored a 100-day water supply without much difficulty, given large pottery vessels and the abundant storage rooms found in the canyon.
The larger rooms here are typical of living spaces, where people slept and sought shelter from bad weather. Family size is unknown, but several people probably lived together in one room. Most work took place outside, weather permitting.
As you continue around the bend, look for the remains of a retaining wall along the canyon edge, constructed to create a "patio" workspace.
[Illustration captions read]
These cut-away illustrations offer a glimpse of various room functions, and how uses may have changed over time.
Look for an outline of a doorway between two rooms. It was blocked off while the rooms were in use.
——————
When undisturbed, the types of artifacts and where they are found reveal much about the common activities of life 800 years ago.
In one of these rooms, archeologists recovered knives, sandals, shaped stone cylinders, and tools for making pottery and crafting arrowshafts.
(Environment • Man-Made Features • Native Americans) Includes location, directions, 7 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
