Arizona Travel & Tour, Pictures, Photos, And Information.

"Hole In The Rock" Ancient Hohokam
Solstice And Equinox, Astronomical Sun Watch Station

Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

George and Audrey DeLange

Map To "Hole In The Rock"

View Larger Map

Hole In The Rock is an ancient "sun watch station" used by the ancient people who lived in the area of Arizona that is now modern day Phoenix. There has been very little research conducted regarding this site and little is known other than it was used definitely to mark the Solar Solstices and Equinox. It is reached by entering Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona and simply following the signs to "Hole In The Rock". When the road ends, you will be in a nice picnic area and there is a very short, easy trail right up to the sun watch station. This is a place "Begging for Research". I am attempting to show this to people on the internet, hoping that someone will take an interest to do a serious study of the site. It is thought that this site was used by the Hohokam. The Hohokam Indians migrated north from present day Mexico around 300 BC and settled in the Gila and Salt River valleys of southern Arizona. They built rectangular pit houses from earth, rather than stone, and lived in small villages. They cremated their dead and placed the ashes in a specially prepared pit Although the Hohokam relied a great deal on hunting and gathering, they also were skilled farmers and excellent engineers. They were a peaceful people who cooperated to build large canal networks. Some of their canals were over ten miles long and used gravity to control water flow and to flush out the silt. These highly successful agricultural techniques produced a surplus of food. Villages and populations grew. Over the next 1500 years the Hohokam expanded their settlements into the Tucson Basin, then to the Phoenix area, and as far north as present-day Flagstaff.