The Castle (1300s), Montezuma Castle National Monument, Flagstaff, AZ (3)
**Montezuma Castle National Monument** - National Register of Historic Places Ref # 66000082, date listed 10/15/1966
40 mi. S of Flagstaff on I-17
Flagstaff, AZ (Yavapai County)
Montezuma Castle National Monument, situated in the Middle Verde drainage in central Arizona, consists of two separate parcels: (1) the Castle Unit, a 564 acre area on Beaver Creek containing 19 known archeological sites, and (2) the Well Unit, a 278 acre area containing 31 known archeological sites.
The prehistoric occupation of the monument post-dates approximately AD 1. A single Clovis projectile point base found in association with pottery is the only evidence of Early Man in the Verde Valley and no evidence of Paleo-Indlan occupation has been found in the monument. (1)
About 1100, a group of dryfarming Indians entered the Verde Valley from the north. These people, referred to as the Sinagua were probably forced out of the Flagstaff area by overpopulation. They built small communal dwellings (pueblos) of stone and farmed dry areas and the few terraces still available. Around 1250, they began to erect large compact structures, often on hilltops or in cliffs.
They began building several house clusters of limestone chunks and river boulders laid in adobe mortar. Two of these eventually became five-story apartment houses—Montezuma Castle, with 20 rooms; and, 100 yards to the west, Castle A, severely damaged in the course of time, with 45 or more rooms. These dwellings were occupied for about two centuries. As many as 200 people may have lived here; Montezuma Castle alone could have accommodated about 50 persons.
During the 1100’s, the two groups of farmers in the Verde Valley—the earlier Hohokam and the later Sinagua—blended together without apparent conflict, adopting customs and practices from each other. Then, in the 1200’s, a series of droughts in the Flagstaff area caused more Sinagua people to move into the valley. Competition for farmland along the spring-fed streams perhaps led to interpueblo strife. This may have been a major factor in the ensuing exodus from this area. By about 1450, Montezuma Castle appears to have been completely deserted. (pg 39-41 (1)
References (1) NRHP Nomination Form s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg...
The Castle (1300s), Montezuma Castle National Monument, Flagstaff, AZ (3)
**Montezuma Castle National Monument** - National Register of Historic Places Ref # 66000082, date listed 10/15/1966
40 mi. S of Flagstaff on I-17
Flagstaff, AZ (Yavapai County)
Montezuma Castle National Monument, situated in the Middle Verde drainage in central Arizona, consists of two separate parcels: (1) the Castle Unit, a 564 acre area on Beaver Creek containing 19 known archeological sites, and (2) the Well Unit, a 278 acre area containing 31 known archeological sites.
The prehistoric occupation of the monument post-dates approximately AD 1. A single Clovis projectile point base found in association with pottery is the only evidence of Early Man in the Verde Valley and no evidence of Paleo-Indlan occupation has been found in the monument. (1)
About 1100, a group of dryfarming Indians entered the Verde Valley from the north. These people, referred to as the Sinagua were probably forced out of the Flagstaff area by overpopulation. They built small communal dwellings (pueblos) of stone and farmed dry areas and the few terraces still available. Around 1250, they began to erect large compact structures, often on hilltops or in cliffs.
They began building several house clusters of limestone chunks and river boulders laid in adobe mortar. Two of these eventually became five-story apartment houses—Montezuma Castle, with 20 rooms; and, 100 yards to the west, Castle A, severely damaged in the course of time, with 45 or more rooms. These dwellings were occupied for about two centuries. As many as 200 people may have lived here; Montezuma Castle alone could have accommodated about 50 persons.
During the 1100’s, the two groups of farmers in the Verde Valley—the earlier Hohokam and the later Sinagua—blended together without apparent conflict, adopting customs and practices from each other. Then, in the 1200’s, a series of droughts in the Flagstaff area caused more Sinagua people to move into the valley. Competition for farmland along the spring-fed streams perhaps led to interpueblo strife. This may have been a major factor in the ensuing exodus from this area. By about 1450, Montezuma Castle appears to have been completely deserted. (pg 39-41 (1)
References (1) NRHP Nomination Form s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg...