Tutuveni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tutuveni
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 Tutuveni
Location in Arizona
Tutuveni
Location in the United States
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| Location | Coconino County, Arizona |
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| Nearest city | Cameron, Arizona |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003283 |
| Added to NRHP | December 3, 1986 |
Tutuveni is an ancient site in Coconino County, Arizona. It's found at the bottom of the Echo Cliffs. This special place has many petroglyphs, which are pictures carved into rocks. The Hopi people, who have a long history with Tutuveni, call it "Newspaper Rock."
For centuries, young Hopi men used Tutuveni. They would stop here during important journeys to the Grand Canyon. These trips were part of their journey into adulthood. At Tutuveni, they would carve their family symbols onto the rocks. This showed they had taken part in the pilgrimage. This tradition lasted for about 400 to 500 years.
Even though Tutuveni is a Hopi cultural site, it is on land owned by the Navajo Nation. For many years, the Hopi and Navajo tribes had a disagreement over this land. In 2006, they settled the dispute. Most of the land in question went to the Navajo Nation.
What Are Clan Petroglyphs?
Tutuveni holds over 5,000 Hopi clan symbols. These symbols were carved into eight large sandstone boulders. Some of these carvings might be as old as the 1200s, while others are from the 1950s. The boulders are spread out over a large area, about 65,000 square feet (6,039 square meters). The tallest boulder is over 16 feet (5 meters) high.
Most of the symbols, about 60%, are on one stone called boulder 48. Each petroglyph is usually about 4x4 inches (10x10 cm). They show pictures of animals, plants, or cultural items. What makes these symbols special is that they rarely overlap. Also, they are often arranged in rows. You can see 20 or more of the same image in a line. This might mean that members of the same clan made the same journey to Tutuveni. New travelers would add their symbols next to those left by earlier Hopi pilgrims.
Protecting This Ancient Site
Sadly, Tutuveni has faced damage from vandalism. Some people have added graffiti to the boulders. Other symbols have been erased or spray-painted over. To protect this important historical site, fences have been put up. Surveillance cameras have also been installed to help keep the site safe.
