Wupatki National Monument, Arizona, Wukoki Pueblo
In 1896, Archeologist Jesse Walter Fewke described Wukoki Pueblo as one of the most impressive masses of aboriginal masonry in the Southwest. He noted that from a distance it resembles an old castle. Despite exposure to the elements for 800 years, Wukoki which means "big house" in Hopi, stands as a tribute to the Puebloan ancestors who paused to farm here during the 1100s. Meticulous corners and lines of masonry rise up from the bedrock to a three-story height. (Source: National Park Service)
Wukoki is one of the best preserved prehistoric structures within Wupatki National Monument, but it has not been reconstructed. The National Park Service partially reinforced the pueblo in 1941 by installing wood braces, props, and wedges. Cement and mud mortars were used to further stabilize the walls. Later, a stabilization survey was conducted and the wall were again remortared with mud. Test trenches were dug in two of the rooms. This is the only modern excavation of the site. By 1954 more extensive stabilization was required. Workers used Portland Cement covered with clay mortar made from local soils. They braced the walls internally, using half-inch reinforcing steel, flat steel bars and concrete. Hidden within the masonry, these reinforcements help ensure the stability of the structure. Current preservation involves annual stabilization of walls, condition monitoring of both the pueblo structure and the surrounding hillsides, invasive plant removal, and trail maintenance. Stabilization differs from reconstruction in that it involves repair of existing wall only. Stabilization is an on-going project and is necessary to prevent the pueblos from deteriorating further. (Source: National Park Service)
Wupatki National Monument is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Wukoki Pueblo is a contributing site.
Wupatki National Monument, Arizona, Wukoki Pueblo
In 1896, Archeologist Jesse Walter Fewke described Wukoki Pueblo as one of the most impressive masses of aboriginal masonry in the Southwest. He noted that from a distance it resembles an old castle. Despite exposure to the elements for 800 years, Wukoki which means "big house" in Hopi, stands as a tribute to the Puebloan ancestors who paused to farm here during the 1100s. Meticulous corners and lines of masonry rise up from the bedrock to a three-story height. (Source: National Park Service)
Wukoki is one of the best preserved prehistoric structures within Wupatki National Monument, but it has not been reconstructed. The National Park Service partially reinforced the pueblo in 1941 by installing wood braces, props, and wedges. Cement and mud mortars were used to further stabilize the walls. Later, a stabilization survey was conducted and the wall were again remortared with mud. Test trenches were dug in two of the rooms. This is the only modern excavation of the site. By 1954 more extensive stabilization was required. Workers used Portland Cement covered with clay mortar made from local soils. They braced the walls internally, using half-inch reinforcing steel, flat steel bars and concrete. Hidden within the masonry, these reinforcements help ensure the stability of the structure. Current preservation involves annual stabilization of walls, condition monitoring of both the pueblo structure and the surrounding hillsides, invasive plant removal, and trail maintenance. Stabilization differs from reconstruction in that it involves repair of existing wall only. Stabilization is an on-going project and is necessary to prevent the pueblos from deteriorating further. (Source: National Park Service)
Wupatki National Monument is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Wukoki Pueblo is a contributing site.