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Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona
Forget having neighbors next door – the Sinagua people of Walnut Canyon had neighbors above, below, and across a 400-foot-deep canyon. These 900-year-old apartments, tucked into limestone cliffs just outside Flagstaff, are Arizona’s most overlooked ancient ruins.
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Natural Temperature Control in the Cliff Houses
The Sinagua carefully chose to build their homes on the canyon’s north-facing walls, where the temperatures stay cooler than at the rim. While summer temperatures at the top reached 90°F, these limestone houses remained around 75°F.
The thick limestone walls, measuring about 18 inches, helped keep the temperature steady all year. When winter came, the low sun warmed the houses naturally. The Sinagua made this system work even better by adding tall walls and roofs made from pine beams.
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How the Sinagua Grew Food on Canyon Edges
On the rim above their cliff homes, the Sinagua farmed acres of land. They grew special types of corn, beans, and squash that could survive with little water. To make the most of rain in this dry place, they built small garden plots with raised edges and lined them with rocks…