The easternmost town on Arizona's Antelope Mesa, Awat'ovi was renowned for its martial strength, and it had been the gateway to the region for centuries. In the fall of 1700, raiders from nearby Hopi villages descended on Awat'ovi, slaughtering or capturing everyone in sight. Why did kinsmen target the settlement for destruction? Drawing on oral traditions, archival accounts, and archaeological research, James Brooks unravels the story and its significance. Here Brooks considers the theories that the attack was in retribution for Awat'ovi having welcomed Franciscan missionaries, for the residents' practice of sorcery, or as part of an ancient cycle of ritual bloodshed and purification.