If youโve followed my work for any length of time, you undoubtedly are familiar with my love for Sedona. While it may be a world-famous tourist destination, itโs a great place to escape the crowdsโand actually, if you go far enough into any Sedona canyon, you are unlikely to see anyone. But beyond the views …
Check out this beautiful Trough Metate! The accompanying grinding stoneโknown as a Manoโwould have been a perfect fit for this specific Metate, and not a good fit for any other, thus, not interchangeable. While the Basin-type Metates I have shared previously (visit link below) were intended for single-hand use and grinding in a circular motion, …
This is one of many Southern Sinagua single-family dwellings in Sedona. The Sinagua are believed to have moved into the Red Rock Canyons of Sedona sometime around A.D. 1125. Getting to this site requires some nerve as you climb a couple short but slippery slopes. I don’t feel like these photos do this sketchy slope …
If you’ve ever visited ancient ruins, you may have encountered something like this. As remarkable as it is, corn and cornhusks, centuries old, just like these, can still be found today. Evidence suggest many natives were protein-starved, and corn may have been the staple in the diet of many tribes. When the Spanish came into …
You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find information on these ruins—but I’ll tell you what I know for sure, and give you what I think with a healthy dose of speculation and educated guesses. Many ruins are slowly being unearthed in the region, while many remain completely buried under centuries of dirt, waiting …
If you’ve driven more than 30 miles down the I-40 east of Flagstaff, you’ve no doubt noticed the remains of this ghost town and wondered what you were looking at. Wonder no more! The history of the land on which this town sits has an incredible history—too much to cover in one post. We will …
This panel has several glyphs. The most interesting are the waterbird, a sun, and some type of zigzag. I’m not sure who created them but several tribes occupied the area at different times. The image known as the “waterbird” could be a crane, or a great blue heron. Interesting to note, the crane is a …
This site is believed to be over 700 years old. Like many ruins in the Red Rocks of Sedona, it is built into a large natural enclave. This built-in security would have protected its inhabitants from many hazards, even keeping them dry in terrible storms. Today, that same protection helps to preserve this site from …
One of the most common rock art motifs, found here and across the world, is the spiral. While it has long existed and spans many cultures and all continents (except Antarctica), there is much debate over the meaning of spiral imagery. Some interpret it to be a coiled snake or a whirlwind. Others say it …
To some people this might look like nothing, but in actuality, this is what’s known as a “Metate,” a stone tool used by native peoples going back thousands of years to prepare plant foods. Metates were meant to be used in conjunction with a Mano (grinding stone), a small rounded rock, similar to what you …