In a small 31-square-mile region south of Prescott, Arizona, archaeologists uncovered hundreds of rare prehistoric ceramic figurines—human and animal forms now linked to what became known as the Groom Creek Effigy Culture. Why they were made and why they were intentionally destroyed remains a mystery.

Long before modern archaeology took hold in Arizona, early scientific explorations were already uncovering the ancient history of the Verde Valley. Military surgeons Dr. Edward Palmer and Dr. Edgar A. Mearns documented sites such as Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well while stationed at Fort Verde after the Civil War. Their research helped bring attention to the remarkable cliff dwellings, irrigation systems, and cultural remains left by the Sinagua people centuries ago.