Montezuma Castle
Ancient Abode of Northern Arizona Desert Dwellers
High above the desert flats of northern Arizona is a five-story apartment house that doesn’t have a landlord.
The tenants moved out - ages ago.
Montezuma Castle, an enormous dwelling built into a shallow cave on the face of a sheer cliff, was occupied in the Middle Ages from 1100 to the 1400s by an Indian tribe known as the Sinagua. These Indians were the geographic and cultural middlemen between the Hohokam of the Phoenix area, and the Anasazi to the north.
Designated as the Montezuma Castle National Monument, this domicile, standing 100 feet above Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley, was constructed of stone and mortar by the Sinaguas, and housed as many as 50 people.
Although the condition of ‘Castle A’ has deteriorated over time, this was once a stately six-storey apartment with approximately 45 rooms. Accessible walking trails wind around the monument with established pathways leading up the cliff. The visitor center provides an excellent source of history on the Sinagua people who lived in the region. Exhibits of fine pottery, tools, garments, and gems on display help define the daily life of the Sinaguas, the village dwellers.
Located approximately 50 miles south of Flagstaff, Arizona, off I-17. The trail is wheel-chair accessible.
Information: Superintendent P.O. Box 219 Camp Verde, Arizona 86322
More information on Montezuma Castle National Monument: www.nps.gov/moca/
Author: Tracey Rayson
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