In 1920, Dr. Harry Mera, an archaeologist, won a contest to design a new state flag and chose the Zia sun symbol because he was familiar with it. It was used in Zia Pueblo on a 19th century pot. There is four points in the symbol because four is a sacred number to the Zia. To the Zia, it is the Circle of Life: four winds, four seasons, four directions, and four sacred obligations. New Mexico was the 48th state and it was founded in 1912.