Wupatki Natl Monument Former Pueblo-Turned

Wupatki Natl Monument former pueblo-turned national monument, Waputki represents the diversity of the indigenous inhabitants of the American Southwest. In conjunction with the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and independent research groups the Hopi and Navajo nations helped establish Waputki as one of the most significant archaeological sites in the United States. According to the Department of the Interior, Waputki is the "only known location in the Southwest where physical evidence from at least three archaeologically separate ancestral Puebloan cultures is found together in a number of archaeological sites."

Wupatki is actually the name of one of the pueblo areas of the archaeological site. The pueblo was inhabited during the tenth and eleventh centuries of the Common Era and was one of the largest pueblos in the region. Archaeologists have managed to preserve as much of the original pueblo structures as possible, making sure that visitors can appreciate its scope and significance. In fact, the sheer size of the national monument bears witness to the strategic importance of this pueblo, which was a central trading point. The national monument allows visitors to place Waputki in the perspective not only of history and culture but also of landscape. Situated on the Colorado plateau not far from Flagstaff, the monument is well-run by a team of professionals that can offer interested visitors educational tours. The U.S. Forest Service retains surrounding lands for campgrounds and also offers interpretive tours.