The Sinagua people lived
in the nearby foothills and the plateau beyond the Verde Valley. They were
pithouse dwellers and dry farmers who depended on rain for their crops.
After the Hohokam
abandoned the area , the Sinagua moved down into the valley and started
utilizing the irrigation systems left by the Hohokam. By 1125, they
began to build above ground masonry structures and large pueblos on
hilltops or alcoves of cliffs.