  This 20-room apartment house was occupied between 1100 and 1400. It has approximately the same floor space as a large, three-bedroom home of today. Perhaps a dozen families, or about 50 people, lived here. A natural recess provides shelterLike other nearby caves and crevasses, the large recess in which the Castle was built is the product of wind and water erosion over eons of time. Shelter from the elements and solar heat from the winter sun were probably good reasons for starting a home here. Other ideas have also been suggested, including protection, tradition, or perhaps the view! However, with no written records to guide us, maybe the real reasons will never be known. 300 years of constructionThe uppermost wall of the Castle was apparently the first one constructed. It makes two rooms out of a cave in the highest part of the recess. Later additions were made in front of and below these rooms. It appears that modifications were made right up to the time of abandonment! Inside the CastleA ROOF BEAM chopped to length with a stone axe. Was the notch at the end used to help lift the log in place? INSIDE A TYPICAL ROOM. Uprights and ceiling beams are from sycamore trees. Ceilings and upper-story floors are a thatching of grasses and shrubs covered with a mud mortar. The small, T-shaped doorway may have helped in regulating air circulation. WALLS OF ROCK CEMENTED TOGETHER WITH MUD. Note the handprints of the original plasterer. TodayBecause of the natural overhang and quality of construction, Montezuma Castle stands today as a well-preserved cliff dwelling. Montezuma Castle Say Ranger!The following are some frequently asked questions about Montezuma Castle HOW DID THEY GET UP THERE? Probably ladders. Although none were found here, remains of ladders have been found at other prehistoric sites. Are there any materials around here from which they could make ladders? Sycamore and Ash are abundant along the fertile riverbed of nearby Beaver Creek. THESE PEOPLE HAD NO WRITTEN HISTORY. HOW THEN DO WE KNOW ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND TIMES? The large mound at the base of the cliff contains over three centuries of trash discarded by the cliff dwellers above. As the layers of food-remains, wornout tools and broken pottery accumulated, an unwritten history of the lives and times of these people was provided. What will our dumps and landfills “tell” future archeologists about our lifestyles? WHY CAN’T WE GO UP THERE? Montezuma Castle is irreplaceable! Most of the structure is over 600 years old and once housed about 50 people. Nearly one-half million people now view this ruin yearly. If the Castle had been open to visitors last year, what would be left for you to enjoy? ARE THESE OPENINGS AN ENTRANCE TO THE CASTLE? No! These two small caves were probably used for food storage. Being high and dry, such walled-up openings were excellent places to store staples. |
|
