A Past Preserved in Stone: A History of Montezuma Castle National Monument

Protas, Josh

Set within a limestone cliff overlooking Beaver Creek in Arizona's Verde Valley (figure 1), the prehistoric ruin known as Montezuma Castle has stood for hundreds of years, a witness to great changes in the surrounding cultural and natural landscapes. The Castle, which the Sinagua people built and occupied from as early as a.d. 1200 until their mysterious departure from the Verde Valley more than two hundred years later, now serves as a reminder of the prehistoric cultures that once flourished in the region. Archeological evidence suggests a sequence of settlement by the Hohokam, Hakataya, and Sinagua peoples in the lush valleys and hills along the Verde River beginning around a.d. 900. Though these groups prospered, developing sophisticated cultures as well as agricultural and trade-based economies, they abandoned the Verde Valley entirely by a.d. 1425. Many years passed before visitors to the region reported their discovery of the remains of these vanished cultures. During the periods of exploration and settlement of the Verde Valley, Spanish explorers, fur trappers, surveyors, military officers, settlers, and tourists noted the impressive prehistoric structures and speculated on their origins, but the growing interest in and visitation to these "ruins" over time threatened their preservation. [1] Various individuals and groups became concerned about the destruction of these unique and fragile resources, and responded with efforts to repair and protect them. Continued discussions at the local and national levels about the preservation of antiquities resulted in the establishment of Montezuma Castle National Monument on 8 December 1906 and later in the National Park Service (NPS) administration of the site.This study examines in detail the perception and management of Montezuma Castle since the first historical account of visitation to the Verde Valley by Spanish explorers in 1583. It documents the changes in the condition of the ruins over time and explores the historical contexts in which these changes took place. As southwestern archeological sites began to receive increasing attention from various groups beginning in the late nineteenth century, Montezuma Castle experienced both threats to its stability and efforts to ensure its preservation. This history considers the attitudes, values, and ideas that informed these behaviors and the impact they had on the prehistoric ruins of the Verde Valley.The primary focus of this study centers on the administration of Montezuma Castle National Monument. It begins with the history of the site before its incorporation into the NPS system and continues with an overview of the improvements and developments at the monument leading up to the start of World War II. Chapter 1 includes a discussion of the first historical contacts with Montezuma Castle and examines the impact on the ruins from the European American settlement of the Verde Valley. Chapter 2 looks at the increasing attention paid to archeological sites in the late nineteenth century and at the consequences of that attention. The time immediately following the establishment of Montezuma Castle National Monument is the subject of chapter 3. This period includes the nominal administration of the Castle by the General Land Office, the formation of the National Park Service and its management of the national monuments, and concerned citizens, and officials' efforts to increase the preservation activities at the Castle.