We spent the afternoon visiting some ancient ruins located about 50 miles south of Flagstaff.
Early American settlers assumed the dwellings were Aztec in origin hence the name Montezuma.
In actuality Southern Sinagua farmers built the “castle” somewhere around 1200 and occupied the area for about a century. Taking advantage of cliff alcoves in the soft limestone they built this 5-story 20 room dwelling over looking their farming fields. By doing so they could maximize the amount of farming land for the community and it gave them a secure home.
The Southern Sinagua used irrigation canals to water their primary crop of corn and hunted the surrounding land. It is unclear why they left but it is suspected that either disease or a depletion of resources triggered their move north where they merged with other tribes.
Montezuma Well is a few miles north of Montezuma castle and was home to another group of the Southern Sinagua Indians. Again they used the natural alcoves in the cliffs to build their homes.
The well is actually a limestone sink hole and is still fed by a continuous flowing stream. Lush vegetation and huge trees grow around the lake and it is an oasis in the barren desert that surrounds the well.
Many of Arizona’s giant Sycamore trees grow all around the lake and next to the irrigation ditches still intact around the farming area.
How would you like to wake up to this view through your bedroom window?
