Friday
We’ve been hearing about a huge petroglyph site here in the area. It is at V-V Ranch and it is the largest petroglyph site in the Verde Valley and one of the best preserved. They sit in a tree shaded area alongside Beaver Creek and were made by the Sinagua Indians who entered this area about AD 650. The rock art consists of 1,032 petroglyphs on 13 rock panels. The figures on these rock panels are animals, birds, and snakes, along with those that represent “man”. The guide was telling us that the female figures can be recognized by the knobs on each side of their heads that are reminiscent of the historical hairstyle of unmarried Hopi women.
This whole area of the petroglyphs were kept a secret by the people that owned the V-V Ranch until late 1950’s, because they didn’t want anyone who might steal or destroy any part of the walls. When it came time to leave ranching, they called the Forest Service…the rest is now “history”.