What does the name Tuzigoot mean?
Ans.: Tuzigoot is an Apache phrase that's been translated as "crooked water". It refers to Pecks lake which is beyond the flat to the Northwest.
What tribe of Indians lived here?
Ans.: We call them the "Sinagua".
Where does the name Sinagua come from?
Ans.: Spanish explorers noticed that the San Francisco Peaks had little water, so they named them, "las Montanas sin agua."Later archaeologists discovered this culture in the Flagstaff area and named it the "Sinagua".
How many rooms are at Tuzigoot?
Ans.: There are about 97 ground level rooms at Tuzigoot.
How many people lived at Tuzigoot?
Ans.: The latest estimate is about 250 people lived here at one time.
When was Tuzigoot built?
Ans.: The earliest datable rooms at Tuzigoot were built around
1000 A.D.
Are there other towns like Tuzigoot in the VerdeValley?
Ans.: Yes. At least 50 large pueblos have been discovered in the VerdeValley?
How did they get into the rooms?
Ans.: The floor rooms had hatchways through the roofs. The upper rooms probably had doorways through the side.
Why did they enter through the roofs?
Ans.: It is unclear. Probably for some type of protection. However, there is little evidence of violence here in the VerdeValley. The protection may have been from people or animals.
Why did they leave?
Ans.: We are not entirely certain. Some theories that have been suggested are over use of the land, drought, disease, warfare, and politics.
Where did they go?
Ans.: There is some evidence to indicate that many of them went to join the Hopi.
What was their method of sanitation?
Ans.: That is not certain. Archaeologists try to understand past cultures by comparing them with others living today. One method that may have been used is by lining a basket with pulverized bark or other absorbent material and then after use flinging the contents over the hill side.
Why is there a parrot in the Sinagua room?
Ans.: Bones of macaws have been found at Tuzigoot. We know the Sinagua had trade connections as far south as Mexico
