crane petroglyph solstice

Heading south of Sedona on 179 South crosses over Insterstate 17. Afterwhich, the broken asphalt dissolves into dirt and mud on Forest Service Rd 618. Eventually you come to the entry for V Bar V Ranch, which has recently been renamed to Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site.

The location is the largest known Petroglyph site in Verde Valley, and the highest concentration on a single vertical wall I’ve encountered in the United States.

A path leads a quarter mile into the desert brush to over a thousand densely organized forms covering a twenty-five yard section. It’s an impressive combination of three petroglyphs types: human, animal, and geometric.

There is a curious group of rocks above the left side, which on a sunny day casts crisp shadows onto a series of drawn steps along the top of the wall. Researchers believe it is a solar calendar that reveals a planting schedule.

On the Summer Solstice, the left edge of the rock shadow points to the steps associated with planting summer crops. By the time the shadow points to the end of the steps, there is a jagged line which turns into a spiral. Researchers believe that denotes the end of crop planting and beginning of the rainy season.

It’s quite a feat to observe shadows moving over the course of a year, and another to etch lines to track movement conducive to group survival. And that is how it’s done: Steadily, over time, with intention.