This Ancient Rock Art Does Something Incredible Every Summer Solstice

[Judi Lynn]

Arizona's Verde Valley is home to a sprawling display of 900-year-old rock art. Among the 1,000 red sandstone etchings and carvings, you can pick out vivid expressions of frenzied people, rich wildlife, and squiggling lines.

It was only until relatively recently that locals noticed a curious feature on the largest and best-preserved petroglyph site in the valley, the V-Bar-V Heritage Site.

On the summer solstice, around June 21, the shadows cast by the two rocks fall down on a petroglyph below, perfectly framing the carvings of a corn plant and a dancing figure with the Sun’s beam.

The fact this precise light show only occurs around the year’s longest day is no coincidence. As reported by Arizona Daily Sun last year, it’s believed this portion of rock art served as a calendar to mark the passing of the seasons, the start of spiritual ceremonies, and the time to start planning next season’s harvests.

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