Ruins of Palatki

 So, as proof as to how COLD the Sedona area got last night, this is the water feature that drains from the pool....in the LATE morning of February 2. When I awoke earlier, I had to make a quick trip to the grocery store and it was 17 degrees!

 So our reservations to visit Palatki were at noon, you have to make a reservation because there simply isn't much parking at all, we arrived early but found it to be quite empty....must be too cold for most except us northerners!

 Just above the tree line is one of the two dwellings at this site that housed the Sinagua people. Smithsonian archaeologist Jesse Walter Fewkes first laid his eyes on this settlement in 1895 while travelling with the Hopi tribe researching their ancestral homes. Evidence suggests the Sinagua arrived around 1100 A.D. and resided here about 200 years.
Desert varnish (or rock varnish) is easily seen in the above photo. It's the dark black and dark orange vertical "stripes". Often thought to be from some sort of chemical change or weathering, it is now understood that it is actually a small (about 1 mm thick) coating of minerals deposited on the surface of the rock, perhaps by rainwater runoff. A bacteria, living on the rock surface, excretes an enzyme that concentrates certain minerals, like iron oxide and manganese oxide, that are in this runoff. I guess I think of it sort of like a glue trap...the iron (red) or manganese (black) deposits "stick" to the rock surface and over a century or so, become concentrated enough to become noticeably visible.

Anyway, getting away from geology, a short trail let us to the "main residence". Until a few years ago, visitors were allowed inside, but because its becoming so fragile, we had to admire it from a few hundred feet.

 Taking the left path, led us through some nice landscapes and vegetation to another site which was the location of another dwelling, gathering spot and sacred area.

This area is known as the Grotto. It was a large areasurrounded on 3 sides, a fabulous view of the area on the open side, with great acoustics. This area was loaded with pictograps (colored drawings) and petroglyphs (selective removal of the rock surface by etching, grinding, pecking, etc.). We were told that this grotto dates from about 10,000 B.C and was used to the late 1800's. The rock art confirms the presence of many cultures from the Pileo's (ancestors of the Aztec's), to the Apache's and Sinagua peoples.

We were quite fortunate to have Bob from the National Forest Service as our interpretive ranger. He is of Cheyenne heritage and was quite knowledgeable of what the rock art actually was depicting. This one has several designs including a pregnant elk, an Apache ladder (in black to the top right of the elk looking like a modern ladder) and a Sinagua ladder (in red just to the right of the black ladder but smaller). I learned that rock art isn't necessarily like a piece of artwork created by one person over a short period of time. These 3 drawings were completed by different cultures separated by a few centuries!

 Here we have some more animals, possibly hunted and killed showing their spirits leaving their body and returning to their "Creator"? Bob told us so many stories I couldn't possibly remember them all, but it was something to that effect. Apparently the native tribes are generally very secretive as to what the rock art was symbolizing, I find that to be very sad!

So here we have mountains (triangles) and snow melt  or waterfalls flowing to the valley below.

Some very, very old scratchings were also seen. 

 Here we see some animals and below people.

 This one, Bob was sure was an of an adolescent girl being available for marriage. When a young girls hair was braided on each side extending outwards from her head (think Princess Lea but out further) it was a sign to young braves that she was of age and available for marriage.

 This smaller space was a sacred spot where they would hold special ceremonies. There is a natural part of the rock formation in the wall that resembles an eagle's head! It is to the left of Bob's walking stick a foot or so off the ground. A close up is below.

 The eagle's open beak should be quite visible to you as it was to the inhabitants of Palatki.

 I mentioned that there was another smaller dwelling, this one they allowed entry as they have reinforced some of the walls for preservation.

 The entire "sacred room" sans Bob.

A view of the area from the grotto.

 More rock art, this one symbolizes a turtle.

More animals, and , according to Bob, Kokopelli.

This rock art, in the grotto area, dates from about 5000 B.C. and was created by the Pileo Indians (ancestors of the Aztecs) symbolized snakes.

After a very interesting tour we headed back to town to explore upscale Tlaquepaque, but not before spotting a Ladder-Backed Woodpecker in the parking lot!