All too quickly, it was the final day of our workshop. The evening before, fellow writer and appointed local guide, K, volunteered to take any early risers to watch the day break over the Wukoki ruins in Wupatki National Monument. Four of us jumped at the offer and left our warm beds without even a dose of caffiene at 4:30am the next morning for the hour drive to Wupatki National Monument. After leaving the main highway, we drove down single lane roads that traversed the flat, scrubby plains, arriving at the deserted Wukoki parking lot shortly after 5:30am. Technically, the monument didn’t open until 8am but it was dark and there was no one around for miles and miles, so flashlights in hand, we carefully followed the path to a large outcropping of rocks and scrambled up to wait for dawn. It was very cold and very dry so we paced and jumped and shook our hands and feets to keep the blood circulating as we patiently waited for the first light of day. From our advantage point, we could see the horizon gradually lighten, coloring the sky with a rainbow of soft yellows, oranges and pinks.
With the lightened sky as a backdrop, the Wukoki pueblo emerged from the darkness. One of the best preserved set of ruins in the area, Wukoki, which means “Big House’ in Hopi, is believed to have been the home for two to three Indian families from the Kayenta Anasazi culture between 1120-1210 AD. Its three stories, postioned atop a sandstone outcrop with a commanding view of the area, suggest Wukoki was an important center for the Anasazi.
The sky’s pink and blue backdrop complemented the distinct red color of the pueblo’s sandstone. This unique sandstone is part of the Meonhopi formation that consists of layers of reddish brown mudstone, sandstone and siltstone that were deposited across New Mexico, northern Arizona, Nevada, southeastern California, eastern Utah and western Colorado millions of years ago by slow moving rivers. Cut into thin, flat blocks and held together with a locally made mortar, it proved to be an excellent construction material able to withstand a thousand years of weathering.
As the sun rose, it’s intense rays illuminated the pueblo as instantly as flipping a switch, creating a lovely contrast of light and shadow. The sky brightened and blued and we turned our cold faces towards the sun, capturing its early morning warmth. Sunrise over Wukoki was well worth leaving a warm bed to brave the dark, cold and we were grateful to K for her gentle encouragement!
From atop our rocky outcrop, we had a commanding view of the area. The Wupatki National Monument covers over 35,000 acres of mostly treeless desert grasslands and sandstone outcrops. We watched the sun’s soft light ‘paint’ the desert pink and red, in beautiful contrast to the brown and green scrub.
It was a short hike to explore the pueblo. Three rooms were still visible as well as a large open plaza. Signage explained that likely two to three families lived here with a shared plaza used for activities like food preparation, pottery making and a play area .
The angle of the sun gave us some fun opportunities for photos and K, who frequently visited Wukoki at sunrise, lined us up for some great shadow dancing selfies. By the time, we left Wukoki, we had gone from freezing to sweating!
We drove to the visitor’s center to see the main settlement on the property. Called Wupatki, or ‘Tall House’ in Hopi, this 100 room pueblo is thought to be the region’s largest and tallest structure of its time period.
Archeologists believe Wupatki was settled by an influx of ancient Pueblo People (the Cohonina, Kayenta Anasazi and Sinagua) in the mid 11th century shortly after the eruption of Sunset Volcano which blanketed the surrounding area with ash, improving the soil’s fertility and ability to absorb moisture. The ash allowed residents to grow maize and squash without irrigation and harvest rainwater for their personal needs, providing food and water in what was a very harsh environment.
A short walking trail led around the ruins – we were able to go in and out of several intact rooms. In some places the pueblo was built around existing rocky outcrops. From the outside, one got the impression that a window have been formed and then blocked by a massive boulder but looking from the inside, it was aparent that existing rocks were used as sturctural supports.
Less than 100 years after its heydey, Wupatki was abandoned. Archeologists surmise that the scarcity of water and difficulty of growing food in this arid, inhospitable land forced these ancient people to migrate. Today, although empty, Wupatki is still remembered in the stories and legends passed down by the Native American tribes in the region. I appreciated being able to experience this artifact of ancient history and learn of the resilence of the ancient peoples who populated this land thousands of years ago.
After a quick stop at the visitor’s center, we drove back to Colton House to join the rest of our well rested colleagues for breakfast and to prepare for our departure.