Sinagua
A pre-Columbian cultural group occupying an area in central Arizona between Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona including the Verde Valley and significant portions of the Mogollon Rim country between approximately 500 A.D. and 1425 A.D. Early Sinagua sites consisted of pit houses and later structures more closely resembled the pueblo architecture found in other cultures throughout the southwestern United States. They survived as hunter-gatherers and as early farmers. The last known record of Sinagua occupation was at Montezuma Castle National Monument around 1425 AD. The reasons for abandonment of their habitation are unknown, but warfare, drought, and clashes with the newly-arrived Yavapai people have been suggested. Several Hopi clans trace their roots to immigrants from the Sinagua culture, who believe their ancestors left the Verde Valley for religious reasons.