WHO WERE THE SINAGUA PEOPLE?

Petroglyphs at V-Bar-V may once have served as a calendar

The Sinagua people were a pre-Columbian society that lived throughout central Arizona hundreds of years ago.

According to the BBC, they inhabited the area between the 7th and 15th centuries.

They were a hunter-gatherer foraging and farming society, and were known to have grown corn, cotton, squash, and beans.

In 2005, volunteers in the area discovered a site with roughly 1,000 petroglyphs carved into the rock, dating as far back as 900 years ago.

Experts say these were made by the Southern Sinagua people to act as something of a calendar, marking the seasons by the changing position of the sun.

The Sinagua left the region around the early 15th century for reasons unknown. But, it’s thought religious or environmental causes, such as resource depletion and drought, may have played a role.

They also may have clashed with the Yavapai people, who arrived to the area not long before.

The Sinagua gave way to the Hopi people, who now live in several clans nearby.

And, many of the events marked by the ancient Sinagua calendar line up with today's Hopi traditions.

In addition to the Sinagua calendar at V-Bar-V, researchers say there are at least a dozen other sites that could have been used by ancient people to mark the passage of time.

In 2005, volunteers in the area discovered a site with roughly 1,000 petroglyphs carved into the rock, dating as far back as 900 years ago. Experts say these were made by the Southern Sinagua people