Red Rock Country, 1271

Sublime rock art & cliff dwellings

era: crossroads 

elements:  pepper • dry grass • tobacco • amber • cypress • leather

feel: deep, sharp & zingy

intensity: medium

Sanctuary from the heat and bite of the desert can be hard to come by, but evergreen trees and shady cliff overhangs provide that refuge for the many native peoples of this region of what is now Arizona for more than 10,000 years. At the cliff settlement of Honanki (Badger House in Hopi), the sublime rock art dates back millennia. Based on its tree ring count, a wood post used as part of a home structure dates to 1271, and people live there well into the 14th century. For more about Honanki and its sister site, Palatki, see Archaeology Southwest.