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Hike down into Walnut Canyon and walk in the footsteps of the people that
lived here over 900 years ago. Under limestone overhangs, the Sinagua built
their homes. These single story structures, cliff dwellings, were occupied
from about 1100 to 1250. Look down into the canyon and imagine the creek
running through. Visualize a woman hiking up from the bottom with a pot
of water on her back. Imagine the men on the rim farming corn or hunting
deer. Think of a cold winter night with your family huddled around the fire...
Come out and see millions of years of history unraveled in the geology of
the rocks. Listen to the canyon wren and enjoy the turkey vultures soaring
above. And if you look closely, you may even see an elk or a javelina. Different
lifezones overlap here, mixing species that usually live far apart. In this
canyon, desert cacti grow alongside mountain firs. A truly beautiful place
to see!
And it is a sacred place. The people that lived here moved on to become
the modern pueblo people of today. Walnut Canyon is one of their ancestral
homes. Travel through quietly and carefully. And please, leave no trace.
Walnut Canyon National Monument was established in 1915 to preserve numerous
Prehistoric archaeological sites which are spectacularly located in cliffs
and along the rim of Walnut Canyon. The focus of the proclamation was
protection from looting and vandalism of the cliff dwelling structures
located under the canyon's limestone ledges.
Evidence of human use at Walnut Canyon can be traced back over 2,000
years. Based on ceramic analysis and tree ring dates, most Sinagua sites
in the area date from 1100-1225 AD. The progression of cultural change
and adaptation of the Sinagua is clearly evident at Walnut Canyon.
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