Rattlesnake Point Pueblo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rattlesnake Point Pueblo
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 Rattlesnake Point Pueblo
Location in Arizona
Rattlesnake Point Pueblo
Location in the United States
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| Location | St. Johns, Arizona |
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| NRHP reference No. | 01000792 |
| Added to NRHP | August 2, 2001 |
Rattlesnake Point Pueblo is an ancient village made of stone. It was built by Native Americans long ago, between the 1300s and 1400s. You can find its ruins today in Lyman Lake State Park, near the towns of St. Johns and Springerville in Arizona.
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History of Rattlesnake Point Pueblo
This ancient village was used from about 1325 to 1400 AD. It was one of nine Native American settlements in the Upper Little Colorado River area during that time. Around 1400 AD, the people living here, and in other nearby villages, decided to leave.
They left the pueblo in an organized way, not in a hurry. This means the rooms were still being used right up until everyone moved out. Rattlesnake Point was one of the last villages in the area to be left empty.
What Happened After the Pueblo Was Left?
After the villagers left, a fire swept through the pueblo. This caused the roofs to fall in. Over the next 600 years, rain and wind slowly broke down the mud that held the stone walls together. This made the walls collapse into the rooms. Today, the site looks like a large pile of rocks and dirt.
Exploring the Ancient Site
Arizona State University has done a lot of archaeological work here. Archaeologists are scientists who study old human history by digging up sites. They carefully dug up some rooms completely. Other rooms were partly dug up to learn more about them. They also dug trenches along the walls to make a full map of the entire village.
Their digging showed different layers of soil and materials. The top layer was recent soil. Below that was a thick layer of collapsed walls. Then came a layer of fallen roof materials. The very bottom layer held things the villagers left behind when they moved. These items included pottery, stone tools, and remains of plants and animals.
Protecting the Pueblo Ruins
To help protect the ruins, four rooms that were fully dug up have been made stronger. Special solutions were used on the mud and dirt floors to make them resistant to water. The remaining walls were also capped to prevent further damage.
About Rattlesnake Point Pueblo
The pueblo sits on a ridge that reaches into Lyman Reservoir. Before the lake was created, the village overlooked a wide flat area of the Little Colorado River. Now, the lake covers that area. The pueblo is usually surrounded by water on three sides. When the lake is very full, shallow water can surround the entire village. Rattlesnake Point is about 5,980 feet above sea level.
How the Pueblo Was Built
Rattlesnake Point Pueblo was a single-story building made from local sandstone. It had about 85 rooms built around an open central area and a great kiva. A kiva is a special room used for ceremonies.
The outside walls were smooth and held together with mud mortar. Some inside walls were covered with plaster. The walls were about 10 to 14 inches thick and about 6.5 feet tall. Many rooms had two main beams across the ceiling, with smaller beams on top. These were covered with small pieces of wood, reeds, and mud.
The rooms were different sizes, averaging about 9.25 square meters. Some were as small as 5 square meters, and others were up to 13.25 square meters. Most floors were just packed earth, but one was plastered, and another was partly paved with stone. Some rooms had doors, but most were entered through the roof using a ladder. There were also a few windows in the west wall.
Ancient Art at the Site
Archaeologists found ancient rock carvings, called petroglyphs, at the site. These carvings show different animals like birds, butterflies, dogs or coyotes, lizards, mountain lions, scorpions, and snakes. They also found carvings of katsinas, which are spiritual beings in some Native American cultures. Even though many carvings were of mountain lions and birds, very few remains of these animals were found.
Challenges from the Lake
The creation of Lyman Reservoir has caused some problems for the pueblo. When the lake is at its highest level, waves hit the eastern and southeastern parts of the village. This causes the land to wear away, or erode, down the slope.
