La Proveedora facts for kids
La Proveedora is an amazing archeological site in Sonora, México. It's about 15 kilometers west of Caborca city. This special place is famous for its thousands of ancient rock carvings, called petroglyphs. These carvings cover the hills of La Proveedora and San José.
No one knows exactly how old these carvings are, who made them, or what they all mean. Scientists are still studying them! But we can admire them and imagine what life was like long ago. The carvings show many things, like animals, shapes, suns, moons, and even hunting scenes. There are so many, it's hard to count them all!
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Ancient People of Sonora
Sonora has a very long history of people living there. We know this from clues left by groups who lived here as far back as 13,000 years ago!
In the northern parts of Sonora, near rivers like the Fuerte and Yaqui, lived people of the Huatabampo tradition. They were farmers who grew cotton, corn, beans, and pumpkins. They also used many resources from the coast.
Further east, in the mountains, was the "Serrana Tradition." After the year 1000 AD, these groups started building houses on the ground with stone foundations. A well-known site from this time is in Baviácora.
In the northeastern part of the state, near rivers like the Bavispe, lived communities similar to those at Casas Grandes. These groups lived in villages on river terraces. They also used adobe houses in caves, maybe for winter.
Towards the northwest of Sonora, near rivers like the Magdalena and Altar, lived communities of the Trincheras culture. Their villages with pit houses became more common after 700 AD.
Sonora has many places with rock art. Two of the most famous are La Proveedora and La Pintada.
Exploring the La Proveedora Site
At La Proveedora, you can see many animal shapes carved into the rocks. There are lots of Pronghorn and bighorn sheep, which are common in this area. They are often shown in groups, and sometimes even with pregnant bellies! You might also spot a coyote, a bird like an eagle, and turtles.
There are carvings of people too, sometimes alone, sometimes in family groups. You can often tell if it's a man, woman, or child. The human figures are usually simple lines with round heads and long necks.
Many geometric shapes are also present, like circles, spirals, and squares. Some carvings look like suns or tribal symbols. One very interesting carving looks like a seashell necklace. Seashells were important for trade and culture for people living near the Gulf of California.
Scientists have studied these carvings, but they don't always agree on their age or meaning. However, local people who live near these drawings often have simpler ideas. They think the carvings might show animals, hunts, dances, moons, suns, or even directions and dates. Some might just be ancient art!
Professor Manuel Jorge González Montesinos from the University of Sonora has written about these carvings. His work suggests that different ancient cultures lived in this region:
- The Mogollon culture (from 600 BC to 1400 AD)
- The Anasazi Culture (from 100 BC to 1450 AD)
- The Hohokam Culture (from 300 BC to 1400 AD, and also 800 to 1200 AD)
These ancient people were hunter-gatherers who also knew how to farm. They built clever irrigation systems to grow corn. They also created special stone calendars that showed when the seasons would change.
These three cultures had a large network of roads. This allowed them to trade many things, like baskets, pottery, corn, special ornaments, turquoise, seashells, and salt. They even shared their knowledge and skills!
The Trincheras Civilization
The Trincheras civilization is named after the village of Trincheras in Sonora. This name comes from the unique buildings they made. These buildings were placed at different levels on a nearby hill, like terraces or "trenches."
Trincheras seems to have been a major meeting and trading center for these ancient groups. People lived there almost all the time. The "trenches" were not just homes; they were also safe places for defense and observation. People might have held special ceremonies there too.
There was plenty of water nearby from the river, especially in springtime. This made it a good place for long stays. We know this because many ancient tombs, pottery pieces, and stone tools have been found around the village.
Scientists have used methods like tree-ring dating to figure out the age of these settlements. They believe that Trincheras, Sonora, and Snaketown, Arizona, were active at the same time, between 800 and 1200 AD.
It's likely that Trincheras was a big trading hub between people from the north and the south. For example, quetzal feathers have been found in ancient tombs here. Quetzal birds only lived far south in places like Oaxaca, Mexico. These feathers were very valuable to the Anasazi and Hohokam people.
The Hohokam people, who lived in Arizona and Sonora, often traveled to the sea. They went to collect seashells and salt. Sites near Caborca show signs of their journeys. It's thought that these places were temporary stops on their way to the coast.
You can often find pieces of broken pottery painted in the Hohokam's favorite colors: red, ocher, purple, and brown. Seashells, grinding stones (called Metate), axes, and other stone tools are also found, but they are rarer.
Understanding Rock Art
The figures carved into the rocks were made by hitting the stone directly, almost like chiseling. They show animals, people, patterns, mazes, geometric shapes, and even symbols for the sky or water.
What do these carvings mean? Scientists have many ideas! They could be:
- Scenes from rituals or ceremonies
- Stories about a hunt
- Drawings of desert plants and animals
- Names of groups or tribes
- Calendars or dates
- Signs for routes or paths
- Ways to show changes in seasons or weather
- Or simply art made for fun!
The Hohokam civilization likely declined because of sickness or long periods of drought. But they are believed to be the ancestors of the Tohono O'odham Nation today. These people are sometimes called Pápagos, but they prefer their own name, which means "people of the desert."
See also
In Spanish: La Proveedora para niños
