The Verde Valley, including the Sedona area, was home to several different cultures of Native Americans who left behind plenty of evidence of their time there. We took the opportunity to visit some, but not all, of the archeological sites available to Sedona visitors.
Our first stop was Montezuma Castle National Monument, so designated in 1906. Early European settlers mistakenly thought the ruin was built by Aztec chieftain Montezuma, but it was actually home to the Sinaqua culture and built around 1000 AD. Part of the monument, Montezuma's Well was a major water source for the region, and is located about eleven miles from the "castle".
The V Bar V Heritage Site is the best preserved petroglyph site in the valley. Originally part of the V Bar V Ranch, it was purchased by the Forest Service in 1994. Situated on Beaver Creek, it is a lovely site to visit.
Another national monument, Wupatki, is located north of Flagstaff and offers a series of well preserved ruins.
Yet another national monument is known as Tuzigoot, with more than 100 rooms. About 1000 years old, the ruins were discovered and excavated around 1930 and designated a national monument in 1939.
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