The Honanki Heritage Site is a cliff dwelling and

rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...

site located in the Coconino National Forest, about west of

Sedona, Arizona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

. The Sinagua people of the

Ancestral Puebloans The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...

, and ancestors of the Hopi people, lived here from about . The

Palatki Heritage Site The Palatki Heritage Site is an archaeological site and park located in the Coconino National Forest, near Sedona, in Arizona, United States. In the Hopi language ''Palatki'' means 'red house'. History ;Cliff dwellings The Palatki site has a ...

is nearby, also in the Coconino National Forest.

History

;Ancient peoples The Honanki and Palatki archaeological sites were first studied by

Jesse Walter Fewkes Jesse Walter Fewkes (November 14, 1850 – May 31, 1930) was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, writer, and naturalist. Biography Fewkes was born in Newton, Massachusetts on November 14, 1850, and initially trained as a zoologist at H ...

of the Smithsonian Institution. He conducted test excavations at both sites in 1895 and in 1911, during his study of Hopi migration traditions. Fewkes named the site "Honanki," which means "Bear House" in the

Hopi language Hopi (Hopi: ) is a Uto-Aztecan language spoken by the Hopi people (a Puebloan group) of northeastern Arizona, United States. The use of Hopi has gradually declined over the course of the 20th century. In 1990, it was estimated that more than 5,0 ...

. Honanki was one of the largest prehistoric pueblos in the

Verde Valley The Verde Valley ( yuf-x-yav, Matkʼamvaha; es, Valle Verde) is a valley in central Arizona in the United States. The Verde River runs through it. The Verde River is one of Arizona's last free-flowing river systems. It provides crucial habitat ...

. This period in Southern Sinagua prehistory is called the "Honanki Phase." Many of the cliff dwellings in the area west of Sedona were occupied during the Honanki Phase. The Sinagua occupation of Honanki was probably between 1130 and 1280 CE, based on a tree-ring date of 1271 (from a wooden beam in the ruin) and other archaeological evidence.Palatki and Honanki Ruins
, handout by US Forest Service. This article incorporates public domain text from this and other US government documents. The rooms at the east end of Honanki were all destroyed in a large fire. Fire-marked stones were then reused to build new rooms. There were at least three phases of construction in the Honanki alcove.Honanki Heritage Site
at Verde Valley Archaeology Center Pictographs are a key feature of the site. Some of them were present before the caves were inhabited, dating to 2000 BCE. However, most of the pictographs are additions from the Sinagua peoples dating between 900 and 1300 CE. ;Historic peoples Honanki was later inhabited by both Yavapai and Apache people. Pictographs dating between 1400 and 1875 CE can be attributed to these two groups.

References

External links

Honanki Heritage Site
at Coconino National Forest. Includes directions to the site.
Honanki Ruins photo gallery
by Coconino National Forest
Honanki Ruins
at Hike Arizona

photo gallery {{Protected Areas of Arizona Parks in Yavapai County, Arizona Archaeological sites in Arizona Petroglyphs in Arizona Ancient Puebloan archaeological sites in Arizona Buildings and structures in Yavapai County, Arizona 12th century in North America Native American history of Arizona Coconino National Forest Sinagua

History

See also

References

External links