From the cliffs of Montezuma
Let’s get two things straight about Montezuma Castle: Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, had nothing to do with it, and it’s not a castle. No, this cliff in northern Arizona shelters the 600-year-old remains of a cliff dwelling created by a people called the Sinagua. And let’s get a third thing straight: that wasn’t their name. No, Sinagua was a name created in 1939 from the Spanish words sin ‘without’ and agua ‘water,’ based on the scarcity of flowing water in the region.
The prominent plants in the foreground are four-wing saltbushes, Atriplex canescens. Here’s a closer look at some saltbushes bordering the parking lot:
If you want an even closer look, you can check out a post about our 2014 trip to the Southwest.
© 2017 Steven Schwartzman
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Excellent.
rabirius
February 18, 2017 at 5:27 AM
I hope yo’ll get a chance to see it in person someday.
Steve Schwartzman
February 18, 2017 at 12:28 PM
Yes. That would be great.
rabirius
February 18, 2017 at 5:14 PM
I’m amused that you chose a tltle evoking a “marine” environment for a post about a place “without water.” Beyond that, seeing the place without any apparent access, such as ladders, makes me wonder if cliff dwellers got the idea from cliff swallows, whose nests these homes suggest.
shoreacres
February 18, 2017 at 7:15 AM
What an interesting speculation. Too bad we can’t get in a time machine and go back to ask cliff dwellers how they came up with the idea of living there.
Steve Schwartzman
February 18, 2017 at 12:33 PM
So far I only knew about the “Halls of Montezuma”. 😉
Pit
February 18, 2017 at 8:16 AM
That’s the song I was hinting at in my title. These cliffs are a thousand miles from those “halls.”
Steve Schwartzman
February 18, 2017 at 12:37 PM
🙂
Pit
February 18, 2017 at 3:24 PM
Great post, Steve.
Jane Lurie
February 18, 2017 at 11:00 AM
Thanks, Jane, and good morning from Nelson, New Zealand, where it’s Sunday.
Steve Schwartzman
February 18, 2017 at 12:38 PM
Visited years ago– a magnificent part of the world!
Jane Lurie
February 18, 2017 at 12:59 PM
I can confirm that it still is.
Steve Schwartzman
February 18, 2017 at 1:11 PM
It’s been so long since I visited this location. Thanks much for bringing back some fond memories, Steve!
Todd Henson
February 18, 2017 at 4:02 PM
You’re welcome. I’d never heard of this site till I got close to it.
Steve Schwartzman
February 19, 2017 at 3:47 AM
One of my favorite places to visit is the Indian lands of the desert southwest. I probably told you this before, but Bob and I traveled and camped for two weeks on our honeymoon to see this and other wonderful places. It is strange to visit a place that is so old, so silent, and yet speaks so strongly of the people who lived there long ago.
It is hard to put this to words (I think about it every time I remember our time there) but I always felt that if I could have just turned around looking behind me fast enough, that I would see them busy about their day.
Lynda
February 18, 2017 at 10:47 PM
How nice to bring back those memories from your honeymoon. I like your vision of quickly turning around and being able to look into the past.
Steve Schwartzman
February 19, 2017 at 3:49 AM
Sometimes it is amusing how people give names to places that have no basis. I imagine that the difficulty to access those dwelling was part of the self-defense strategy for “building” there. I can’t imagine the amount of work it took to create them.
Steve Gingold
February 19, 2017 at 5:14 PM
In a similar way, sayings get attributed to people who never said them.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2017 at 3:18 AM
This made me smile – I’ve been to Montezuma’s Castle before and didn’t have a clue. Thanks for sharing 🙂
notcomingdownblog
February 20, 2017 at 12:16 AM
You’re welcome. Happy smiles.
Steve Schwartzman
February 20, 2017 at 3:48 AM
Impressive structure!!
norasphotos4u
February 20, 2017 at 7:33 PM
It is, and worth the visit.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2017 at 3:18 AM