File:V-Bar-V Petroglyphs, Verde Valley, Arizona (marcegottlieb wikimedia).png

English: Shown here is part of the petroglyph wall at the V-Bar-V Heritage Site, near the town of Rimrock in central Arizona’s Verde Valley. The V-Bar-V is the largest petroglyph site in the Verde Valley, nearby other notable archaeological sites such as Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well. These petroglyphs were created by the Southern Sinagua people circa 1150-1400 CE. The site is along Beaver Creek, and these carvings epitomize what is known as the Beaver Creek Rock Art Style, characteristic of the Southern Sinagua of that era. These petroglyphs, 1032 counted, have a rich mix of animal forms (zoomorphs), human forms (anthropomorphs), and geometric figures. The rock wall is a nearly true vertical face with large overhanging rocks at the top which form a natural sundial. A such, this wall is covered with glyphs thought to have served time keeping and calendar functions. The red rocks, etched engravings, and lichens on the wall are ever changing in appearance as the sun moves across the sky, at times having a bright face with high contrast shadows and highlights, at other times presenting a smoother more mellow visual image. The site became part of the historic V-Bar-V Ranch in 1907, and recognizing its historical, cultural, and academic significance, the ranchers protected it from vandalism for many years. In 1994, the site became part of the Coconino National Forest and is under the protection and management of the U.S. Forest Service.