Starting in A.D. 1000, the Sinagua built the 110-room Tuzigoot 2 to 3 story pueblo. The tribe was largely agricultural and had trade routes that spanned hundreds of miles. It’s believed the ancient peoples left the area around 1400. The central rooms stand higher than the others and they appear to have served public functions. The ruins at Tuzigoot incorporate very few doors; instead, the inhabitants used ladders accessed by trapdoor type openings in the roofs to enter each room.
Painted pottery from the Hopi Mesas, seashells from the Pacific Ocean, and remains of a scarlet macaw from Mexico were all found in Tuzigoot. This shows the long trade routes.
Large utilitarian pottery was also found on site. Although not fancy, such large pottery could only have been crafted by skilled potters. It is extremely hard to hand-shape pots to such shapes and size. Pottery picture courtesy of National Park Service.
