Montezuma Castle

Saturday we visited Montezuma Castle. The name is misleading. Montezuma Castle is a cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua Indians about 700 years ago. When the Spanish explorers reached the area and discovered the cliff dwellings, which had already been abandoned for hundreds of years, they thought the Aztec Indians had built them and named them Montezuma Castle. The dwellings and surrounding area are preserved by the Montezuma Castle National Monument, part of the National Park Service. The Sinagua abandoned the site after about 150 years and no one knows the reason. It could have been related to diminishing national resources, to join other tribes further north, religious reasons, or conflict. For centuries the site was plundered and artifacts removed or destroyed so archaeologist have been hampered in their quest to learn details of life around the cliff. It is easy to understand why the Sinagua chose this location for their community with the water source of Beaver Creek and level land adjacent to the cliff. They planted crops and irrigated them via the creek and used the natural vegetation and trees for many purposes. They also had a source of game that was attracted by the water of the creek. Having their quarters inside the cliff added additional security and provided shelter from the heat of the day.

Entrance to the park

Montezuma Castle cliff dwellings

Beaver Creek adjacent to the cliff

I was mesmerized by the Arizona Sycamore tree. This variety of Sycamore tree is only found in Arizona and New Mexico and unlike the Sycamore found in the Southeastern US, the canopy starts spreading close to the ground. The tree creates a huge umbrella of branches and grows to as high as 120 feet. Seasoned logs can last for centuries and the roofs of Montezuma Castle are supported today by Sycamore logs that are 700 years old.

One of the many Sycamore trees near the cliff