Montezuma Castle National Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Montezuma Castle National Monument |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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 Montezuma Castle National Monument
Location in Arizona
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Location in the United States
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| Location | Yavapai County, Arizona, USA |
| Nearest city | Camp Verde, Arizona |
| Area | 859.27 acres (347.73 ha) |
| Created | December 8, 1906 |
| Visitors | 390,151 (in 2018) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Montezuma Castle National Monument |
| Designated: | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference #: | 66000082 |
Montezuma Castle National Monument is a special place in Camp Verde, Arizona. It protects ancient homes built into a cliff. These homes were made by the Sinagua people. They lived here between about 1100 and 1425 AD. The main building has five stories and many rooms. It took over 300 years to build!
The name "Montezuma Castle" is actually a bit misleading. When people first saw these ruins in the 1860s, they thought the famous Aztec emperor Montezuma built them. But this was a mistake! The homes were abandoned more than 40 years before Montezuma was even born. Also, it wasn't a "castle" like you might imagine. It was more like an ancient apartment building built into the cliff.
Some Hopi and Yavapai communities today trace their family history back to the people who lived near Montezuma Castle. Old evidence shows that the Hohokam and Hakataya people also lived in the Verde Valley area. These groups sometimes return to these old homes for special ceremonies.
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The Amazing Cliff Dwelling
Montezuma Castle is built high up on a tall limestone cliff. It's about 90 feet (27 meters) above the ground. Below it is Beaver Creek, which flows into the Verde River. This dwelling is one of the best-preserved cliff homes in North America. Its location in a natural alcove protects it from bad weather.
The Sinagua people were very brave builders and skilled engineers. They built this large home in a very tricky spot. To get into the building, they likely used ladders that could be moved. This made it hard for enemy tribes to attack them.
One big reason the Sinagua built so high was to avoid floods. Beaver Creek often flooded during the summer monsoon season. These floods were good for their farms, but they could destroy homes. So, the Sinagua built their permanent homes safely up in the cliff.
The walls of Montezuma Castle are made from limestone rocks. These rocks were found at the bottom of the cliff. They used mud and clay from the creek to hold the rocks together. The roofs of the rooms were made from wood, mostly from Arizona sycamore trees. These trees grow in the Verde Valley.
History of the Sinagua People
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People started building permanent homes like Montezuma Castle around 1050 AD. The Sinagua culture might have lived in this area as early as 700 AD. For a short time, they left the area because a volcano called Sunset Crater erupted. This volcano is about 60 miles (97 km) north.
The volcano's eruption might have been bad at first. But it also left rich soil that helped farming later on. The Sinagua lived in the nearby highlands for a while. They grew food using only rain. After 1125, the Sinagua returned to the Verde Valley. They used the Verde River and old irrigation systems to grow more food.
Building the Castle probably started around this time. It was built slowly, level by level, over many generations. The population in the area was likely largest around 1300 AD. The Castle may have housed 30 to 50 people in about 20 rooms. Another part of the cliff had an even bigger dwelling called "Castle A." Only its stone foundations remain today. When it was found in 1933, many Sinagua tools and items were discovered. This helped us learn a lot about their lives.
The Sinagua people lived at Montezuma Castle until about 1425 AD. After this, they left their permanent homes and moved away. Other groups in the southwestern United States also moved around that time. We don't know exactly why they left. It could have been because of dry weather, not enough resources, or conflicts with the newly arrived Yavapai people.
Because few people visited after it was abandoned, Montezuma Castle stayed well preserved. However, it was heavily looted in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, the monument and the Verde Valley face challenges to keep Montezuma Castle safe.
Plants and Animals of the Monument
The National Park Service wanted to learn more about the plants and animals in national parks. So, they started a program to record changes in nature. Between 1991 and 1994, researchers studied Montezuma Castle. They found about 784 different kinds of plants and animals. This included fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Only a small part (11%) of these species were not native to the area. Some common animals you might find are bats, snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, foxes, owls, and mice.
Protecting Montezuma Castle
Montezuma Castle National Monument covers about 860 acres. It's in the middle of Arizona. This area is where two major land regions meet: the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range.
The dwellings and the land around them became a U.S. National Monument on December 8, 1906. This happened because of the Antiquities Act, a law signed earlier that year. It was one of the first four National Monuments chosen by President Theodore Roosevelt. Montezuma Castle was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
It's easy to visit the monument. It's just off Interstate 17 at exit 289. There's a paved path, about 1/3 mile (0.5 km) long, that starts at the visitor center. This path goes along the base of the cliff where the ruins are. Since 1951, visitors have not been allowed inside the ruins. This is to keep people safe and to protect the ancient dwelling. About 400,000 tourists visit Montezuma Castle each year. The park is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM, except for Christmas Day.
The visitor center has a museum. It teaches about the Sinagua culture and the tools they used to build their homes. The museum shows many items like stone tools, grinding stones for corn, bone needles, and jewelry. These items prove that the Sinagua were skilled artists and good traders. There is also a gift shop run by the Western National Parks Association.
Montezuma Well
Montezuma Well is a natural hole in the ground, called a sinkhole. It's about 100 by 120 yards (91 by 110 meters) wide. It also has Sinagua dwellings nearby. The government bought Montezuma Well in 1947. It is now a separate part of Montezuma Castle National Monument. It's about 5 miles (8 km) north of the Castle, near Rimrock. You can reach it from exits 293 and 298 off Interstate 17.
Images for kids
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Rocky Slope Residence in Phoenix, Arizona as homage to Montezuma's Castle
See also
In Spanish: Monumento nacional Castillo de Montezuma para niños
