Back in 2019 when we were all able to travel, I stopped at Montezuma Castle National Monument on my way home from a trip to Flagstaff Arizona. I've been to this place many times before but it's one of those places that you can visit over and over and still see something new.
The ruins here were built by the Sinagua people who had been living in this area since the year 650. Around 1050 they started building cliff dwellings like this one and pueblos in other areas.
This particular dwelling is described as a 20-story high-rise built into the side of this cliff.
There is a cut-away model on view at the park to help us imagine what living there might have been like.
In the lower right of this photo you can see the remains of a wall along the cliff face and below the cliff dwelling.
At the bottom of this canyon is the stream of water that provided life's most important basic need. In spite of this water supply, this place was abandoned around the year 1400. No one knows exactly why. The Sinagua people had no written language so historians can only speculate.
Whatever their reason for moving away, there is no doubt they left something spectacular behind. When you enter the canyon, you walk a way before you catch sight of this marvel. It quite literally stops you in your tracks. It is an amazing sight.
5 comments:
I have stopped there twice, it is amazing. About 10 years ago, I spoke at a conference in Phoenix, Jay came with me, and we drove to the Grand Canyon (his first visit.) We stopped there on the way back. I printed three prints from the photos I took on that trip, then my computer hard drive failed, those three images are all that I have from that trip, one of them is the Castle. When I replaced the computer, I bought a simultaneous external back-up drive, I haven't been without one since. I am now double backed up with a cloud drive.
I would love to see that. Beautiful shots.
I would love to see it too. Fantastic place.
I have visited the site many times. It's always a wonder.
I have been there a few times. Lovely place with lots of interesting history.
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