V-bar-V petroglyph site
Encyclopedia
The V-bar-V petroglyph site is the largest known petroglyph
site in the Verde Valley
of central Arizona
, and one of the best-preserved. The rock art
site consists of 1,032 petroglyphs in 13 panels. Acquired by the Coconino National Forest
in 1994, the site is protected and kept open to the public by the US Forest Service. Volunteers from the Verde Valley Archaeological Society and the Friends of the Forest provide interpretive tours and on-site management.
A visitor center, restroom and bookstore, operated by the Forest Service and the Arizona Natural History Association, is located on site. The fenced petroglyph site is an easy half-mile walk from the parking lot. For most of the year, there is a resident on-site custodian.
residents between about 1150 and 1400 AD. The site was known to early American settlers, and became part of the historic V-bar-V ranch around 1907. The ranch headquarters were nearby, and the ranchers protected the site from vandalism. Some historic ranch buildings remain near the Visitor Center. The US Forest Service acquired the site in 1994.
culture between A.D. 1150 and 1400.
About 20% of the petroglyphs are zoomorphs, including snakes, turtles, coyotes, deer and antelope. The next most common types are anthropomorphs and geometric figures, such as spirals and grids.
The documentation of the V-Bar-V Heritage Site has provided important information for defining the characteristics of the Beaver Creek Style. V-bar-V is unusual in that all of the petroglyphs are of this one style, and almost all are well-spaced, without overlap or newer designs drawn over older.
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
site in the Verde Valley
Verde Valley
The Verde Valley is a valley in central Arizona in the United States of America. The Verde River runs through it. It is overlooked by Mingus Mountain and the Mogollon Rim.- History :The first notice of this region appears in the report of one Espejo,...
of central Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and one of the best-preserved. The rock art
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
site consists of 1,032 petroglyphs in 13 panels. Acquired by the Coconino National Forest
Coconino National Forest
The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", the area was designated a U.S...
in 1994, the site is protected and kept open to the public by the US Forest Service. Volunteers from the Verde Valley Archaeological Society and the Friends of the Forest provide interpretive tours and on-site management.
A visitor center, restroom and bookstore, operated by the Forest Service and the Arizona Natural History Association, is located on site. The fenced petroglyph site is an easy half-mile walk from the parking lot. For most of the year, there is a resident on-site custodian.
History
The petroglyphs were created by Southern SinaguaSinagua
The Sinagua were a pre-Columbian cultural group occupying an area in central Arizona between the Little Colorado River and the Salt River including the Verde Valley and significant portions of the Mogollon Rim country between approximately 500 AD and 1425 AD.Early Sinagua sites consist of pit houses...
residents between about 1150 and 1400 AD. The site was known to early American settlers, and became part of the historic V-bar-V ranch around 1907. The ranch headquarters were nearby, and the ranchers protected the site from vandalism. Some historic ranch buildings remain near the Visitor Center. The US Forest Service acquired the site in 1994.
Beaver Creek Rock Art Style
Rock art is one type of archaeological data that can be used to identify prehistoric cultures and time periods. The Beaver Creek Rock Art Style has been identified and formally described through studies of rock art sites in the Beaver Creek area, especially at V-Bar-V. The Beaver Creek Style, found throughout the eastern half of the Verde Valley, is diagnostic of the Southern SinaguaSinagua
The Sinagua were a pre-Columbian cultural group occupying an area in central Arizona between the Little Colorado River and the Salt River including the Verde Valley and significant portions of the Mogollon Rim country between approximately 500 AD and 1425 AD.Early Sinagua sites consist of pit houses...
culture between A.D. 1150 and 1400.
About 20% of the petroglyphs are zoomorphs, including snakes, turtles, coyotes, deer and antelope. The next most common types are anthropomorphs and geometric figures, such as spirals and grids.
The documentation of the V-Bar-V Heritage Site has provided important information for defining the characteristics of the Beaver Creek Style. V-bar-V is unusual in that all of the petroglyphs are of this one style, and almost all are well-spaced, without overlap or newer designs drawn over older.
External links
- V-Bar-V Heritage Site at Coconino National ForestCoconino National ForestThe Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", the area was designated a U.S...
. This official site provides hours of operation, fees, contact phone numbers and further visitor information. This article incorporates public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
text from this US Government website. - Friends of the Forest photo gallery
- Another nice V-bar-V photo gallery