This Castle Is One Of The Oldest Houses In Arizona And It Is Still Standing
By Monica Spencer|Published April 03, 2017
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Monica Spencer
Author
Monica is a Diné (Navajo) freelance writer and photographer based in the Southwest. Born in Gallup and raised in Phoenix, she is Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water People) and Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood People). Monica is a staff writer for Only In Your State, photo editor for The Mesa Legend, and previously a staff writer for The Navajo Post. You can reach her at monica.d.spencer@gmail.com.
Just this past weekend, Arizona construction crews unearthed some ancient (and more recent) artifacts of life in the Phoenix area before it ever became a major metropolitan area. While some things are hidden away from human eyes, others are more visible than you think. Buildings that date back centuries—and in some cases millennia—are spread out across Arizona’s land but we’re going to focus on one building that has a rich history and a misleading name.
Located just a short drive from Interstate 17, Montezuma Castle National Monument dates back nearly 900 years. This apartment-style cliff dwelling of the Sinagua people sits five stories tall with 20 rooms that could house dozens.
Americans first spotted the ruins when settling the area in the 1860s, looking not much different from this 1880s photo. It was these settlers you can thank for the misleading name.
Montezuma (also referred to as Moctezuma II), the Aztec leader during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, was assumed to be connected with the construction of these cliff dwellings and their castle-like appearance. However, he was born nearly three centuries after construction of the dwelling began and it's unlikely that Aztec reign reached more than 1,500 miles north in the Verde Valley.
While it may not have the royal roots settlers may have hope for, the Sinagua are thought to be related to some Hopi and Yavapai clans and communities based on oral stories.
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When visiting, this is the view you'll get to see, with the cliff dwelling surprisingly large and prominent against this Verde Valley cliff.
At one time, curious visitors could walk through the ruins to explore rooms but the possibility of visitor injuries, damage to the ruins, and a history of looting put an end to this in 1951.
Because of that history of looting, few artifacts remain at the site but you can get a chance to see replicas of items the people used when living in their cliff dwelling home.
Located a few miles away from the cliff dwelling, Montezuma Well is a sinkhole filled with water from a natural spring. It's not a well you'll want to drink directly from, however!
The warm spring is naturally carbonated with high levels of arsenic and an alkalinity that would not make this very palatable.
Wow, it’s amazing how much history you can find in just one little area of the state! Montezuma Castle National Monument is located about two miles outside Camp Verde via Montezuma Castle Road. You can find its location on Google Maps by clicking this link. You can find more information about the national monument by visiting the National Park Service website.
