Cliff Dwellings Tell a Story of Ancient History

Cliff Dwellings Tell a Story of Ancient History

Many Sedona residents have heard of the Palatki Heritage Site that is located northwest of Sedona, but a surprising number of localshave not yet been there. Palatki offers an opportunity to get up close to ancient cliff dwellings and interestingrock art.

Archaeologists believe construction of the Palatki cliff dwellings began about A.D.1100 and that they were used by the Sinagua people until about A.D. 1275. The cliff dwellings were built in the red sandstone cliffs, under south-facing overhangs. The estimated population of Palatki is forty to eighty people.

There are two dwellings. The West Alcove is a five to seven-room structure. The East Alcove is a nine-room structure with evidence of a second floor. A close look shows that the dwelling began as one or two rooms, with the other rooms added later. Construction was stacked stones and mud mortar. Most day-to-day life would have taken place on the roofs above or in the fields below, where the Sinagua raised their crops using dry farming techniques.

The cliff location eliminated the need to build a back wall and provided overhead protection from rain. In addition, the locationtook advantage of seasonal sun patterns, offering maximum solar heat in the winter and minimum exposure to the sun in the summer.

Palatki is located in the Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest. Ranger Terrilyn Green shares the following,“I often tell people that I have the best job in the Forest Service as the work leader at the Palatki and V Bar V Heritage Sites. Every day that I arrive at Palatki, I am greeted by red sandstone cliffs, cheerful bird song, an array of plant life, andfriendly volunteers. We have full-time volunteers who live on-site and we are fortunate to have the support of the Friends of the Forest volunteers. Volunteers are key to our whole operations and make working there a pleasure.”

“The Palatki visitor centeris the hub of activity as visitors call in for reservations. We organize groups to hike up to the cliff dwelling every half-hour, gathering visitors in front of this historic house to tell them about the trail and share a little ranch history. The trail is about one mile round-trip. The trail to the dwelling is somewhat strenuous with at least 50 rock “steps.” Most visitors are on-site for about oneand a half hours as they learn about the Native American cultures who lived at Palatki Red Cliffs for hundreds of years.”

One of the key features of Palatki is the red cliff rock art. A short trail takes visitors to some of the finest rock markings in the Verde Valley. Images are as ancient as the Paleo people of about 12,000 years ago, and as recent as the earliest Anglo settlers of the late 1800’s.

Images include pictograph drawings made on rock in one or more colors, and petroglyph scratchings into the rock. We will never know exactly what the rock markings mean, but we do know some of the functions of rock art. For example, drawings and scratchings might be made to certify that a ceremony was properly conducted, to offer prayers for an abundance of crops, to indicate the clan symbol of the people who lived in the area, to ensure hunting magic, and to record important events.

Palatki rock markings include animal and human forms, stylized snakes, bear-like elements, and animals that resemble deer, mountain sheep, or antelope. There are handprints, crosses, circles and crescents, and shield-like designs.

Jerry Walters is theFriends of the Forest Cultural Resources Chair who ensures Palatki has volunteer docents. “For me the most intriguing thing about Palatki is that not only does it have a rich prehistoric heritage going back 10,000+ years, it has a living heritage as well. This site has been culturally significant for both the Yavapai and Hopi peoples for 600 years. The Anglo incursion of 125 years is a blip in the timeline. The site does not belong to us. It belongs to the native peoples who still regularly visit the site to remember their heritage and instruct their youth. We are simply caretakers and stewards on their behalf.”

“I am also proud of the dedicated men and women of Friends of the Forest who have been protecting the site and educating the public for over 20 years.On average, we have 37 individuals contributing 3,400 hours annually!”

Palatki is open seven days a week, 9:30 am -3 pm. Visitors should call 928-282-3854 to make reservations.

Serving Sedona, written this week by Carol Wirkus, Sedona Friends of the Forest, appears Wednesday in the Sedona Red Rock News.