Growing up in New Hampshire if you found something in the woods, chances are it wasn’t very old. Old things break down under the constant beating of an actual four-season year. Real winter, double digits below zero, spring thaw, summer heat, all these environmental pressures support the breaking down of, well, everything. The forest eventually reclaims whatever we puny humans have left behind.
The Southwest
Perhaps that is why I am so in love with the heritage sites of the southwest. It boggles my mind that something pecked or painted on to stone between 1150 and 1400 years ago (A.D) is still visible, and not only visible but looks like it was built yesterday. That’s the date range tied to V bar V Heritage site panel. The largest (known) panel in the Verde Valley, and attributed to Southern Sinagua people.
Imagine, people between the years of 900 AD to 1350 AD stopped at this spot and left messages etched into stone. What was so special about this location? Well, prevailing research indicates that during that time span, the Verde Valley was quite different. In 1995 a Clovis point was found, which was an exciting discovery. The Clovis people hunted large game, thus the researchers are pretty sure that large game lived in the valley making it a great spot for ancient people to spend some time.
Sedona AZ
This area is also a great place for modern people to spend some time. There is the ‘magical’ aspect found in nearby Sedona AZ. Exploring the ‘vortices’ is a fun adventure for your first trip to Sedona. Nothing magical ever happened to me when I stepped into one. Well, I got a toothache, but that’s not something that they advertise in the brochure.
I’ll talk about Sedona in an upcoming post. It’s an amazing place to spend some time and it has adventures for everyone, including skeptics and believers.
Pro tip: Words matter! Petroglyph: an image pecked or carved into stone. Pictograph: an image painted onto the stone. These terms are not interchangeable and their misuse will cause eye rolls – so don’t do it!
Resources for your visit: V bar V Heritage Site visitor guide
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