Native Plants of Ancient Indian Wupatki People

Crops and Plants Grown by Native Indian Tribes at Wupatki, Arizona

Oct 26, 2009

The ancient Indian ruins at Wupatki in northern Arizona hold many secrets of a lost past; those secrets include the crops and plants grown by the local Native Indians.

Wupatki National Monument is located in northern Arizona, north of Flagstaff. Today, the ancient Indian ruins are all that remains of a once thriving community which settled in the shadow of Sunset Crater between 1040 and 1100. For several hundred years, ancient Indian people lived in a hostile environment which made daily living and survival a constant struggle; somehow these ancient people managed to grow crops and plants to meet their needs.

The Ancient Indian Tribes of Wupatki

It is believed that the ancient Indian people who lived at Wupatki were ancestors of other Native Indian tribes such as the Hopi and the Zuni; archaeologists today are still uncovering pottery and architecture which give clues to how the ancient people of Wupatki lived. It was probable that the climate at Wupatki was hot and dry with most rain falling during the summer months; the landscape was desolate with little tree cover and an almost constant wind factor, as it is today.

Plants and Crops of Wupatki

Despite the harsh environment and far-from-ideal growing conditions for crops and plants, the ancient Indian people of Wupatki managed to successfully grow crops and plants for survival. Some of the crops and plants grown at Wupatki were:

Plants, Seeds and Animals Used by the People of Wupatki

In addition, the Wupatki people collected other plants and seeds for food; these included amaranth, bee weed and Indian rice grass. Some plants and seeds had medicinal purposes, in addition to being a source of food. Animals which wandered into their territory, such as rabbits, deer and lizards also provided a food source for the people of Wupatki.

Medicinal Uses of Amaranth by the Ancient Indians of Wupatki

Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) is named from the Greek word meaning unfading; it is a name given to a genus of herbs, often considered weeds, yet the plants have medicinal value, especially in the wild. Amaranth is said to relieve diarrhea, heavy menstruation and dysentery. It is the flowers and leaves which are of value for medicinal purposes and it is probable that the Wupatki people used amaranth for medicinal purposes too.

The Use of Bee Weed and Indian Rice Grass at Wupatki

Bee weed (Cleome serrulata) is also a species of plant which has medicinal properties, in addition to nutritional value. The seeds of Indian rice grass (Oryzopsis hymenoides) were commonly used for food and the plant was probably prevalent in the Wupatki area, as it is capable of growing in many climatic conditions.

Ethnobotany at Wupatki Today

Although there is a lack of written evidence of the use of plants and crops by the ancient Indian people who inhabited the Wupatki area, archaeologists are able to assume facts of how the people lived by the unearthing of the many artifacts buried beneath the earth. Visitors to Wupatki today can see the ancient Indian ruins and the desolate landscape and imagine the difficulties of survival in this northern part of Arizona.

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The copyright of the article Native Plants of Ancient Indian Wupatki People in Ethnobotany is owned by Sharon Falsetto. Permission to republish Native Plants of Ancient Indian Wupatki People in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.