The Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site is the largest known petroglyph site 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 habita ...

of central

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, and one of the best-preserved. The rock art site consists of 1,032 petroglyphs in 13 panels. Acquired by the

Coconino National Forest The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre (751,000 ha) 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", th ...

in 1994, the site is protected and kept open to the public by the

US Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

. 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

Sinagua The Sinagua were a pre-Columbian culture that occupied a large area in central Arizona from the Little Colorado River, near Flagstaff, to the Verde River, near Sedona, including the Verde Valley, area around San Francisco Mountain, and signifi ...

residents between about 1150 and 1400 AD. The site was known to early American settlers, and became part of a cattle ranch around the turn of the 20th century. Some historic ranch buildings remain near the visitor center. The

acquired the site in 1994.2005, Friends of the Forest, V Bar V Heritage Site tour guide pamphlet, for sale at the site.

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 Crane Petroglyph. The Beaver Creek style, found throughout the eastern half of the Verde Valley, is diagnostic of the Southern

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 Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site has provided important information for defining the characteristics of the Beaver Creek style. Crane Petroglyph 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.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site Archaeological sites in Arizona Buildings and structures in Yavapai County, Arizona Petroglyphs in Arizona Protected areas established in 1994 Pre-statehood history of Arizona Protected areas of Yavapai County, Arizona Sinagua Coconino National Forest 1994 establishments in Arizona

History

Beaver Creek rock art style

See also

References

External links