Montezuma Well - Verde Valley AZ

Approximately 1600 years ago, the "Sinagua" people settled into the Verde Valley and Sedona areas. They eventually built and occupied cliff dwellings, pit houses, pueblos, and other masonry structures. For reasons known only to them, the Sinagua eventually abandoned the structures about 700 years ago.  The word "Sinagua" is Spanish for "without water." What they called themselves is unknown, but we do know that they are linked with the Hopi and Hohokam tribes. Today, members of the Apache and Yavapai tribes live in the area. Some say that the vanished "Sinagua" people are part of one or more of these other four groups today.

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Montezuma Well (unrelated to Montezuma and not really a well) is a large limestone sinkhole with a seemingly endless supply of water.

Even during periods of drought, over 1.5 million gallons of water flows into, and out of this sinkhole everyday. Water leaves the "well" after passing through limestone, and into an irrigation ditch. The ditch has been dated at over 1,000 years old, and is still used today.

Some of the Sinagua cliff houses are visible just under the rim (in the upper middle of the pic)

A better view. These ruins have not been "re-built."

The following several photos are ruins that are lower and closer to the water exit.

Historical graffiti

Graffiti this old is actually protected

Pueblo ruins very close to the edge of the sinkhole.

The remains of the foundation of a "pit-house." This is also close to the sinkhole. Poles were placed in the holes to help support and shape the roof and walls. The entrance was on the left. The only restoration work is a "mud" based paint that is used to coat and protected what is left.

This structure protects the pit-house from the weather.

Not related, but just because I like the way it looks.

See previous post on Montezuma's Castle HERE.

Tuzigoot Pueblo

We stumbled upon this place, the Tuzigoot National Monument, mostly by accident. It lies in central Arizona's Verde Valley. The word Tuzigoot, is Apache for "crooked water." The dwelling is a three story, 110 room, Sinagua pueblo.  It was occupied for about 300 years, starting about 900 years ago.  It was excavated during the 1930s.  The pueblo was occupied for such a long period because of the permanence of a nearby river. I retract the first sentence. 

The visitor's center (no photo) houses an extensive collection of Sinagua artifacts. All of them were found on site, during the excavation. 

The ceiling is the only reconstruction done on the pueblo and is considered an exact representation of what was originally there. 

My last post was related to Jerome. It is located on the near slope of that mountain range in the background of this photo.

It really blows my mind to think of people living here that long ago in a totally organized and efficient manner. Although there were many native Americans living in the area, they  were totally alone. All of these rooms had roofs on them, but they didn't have any doors at all. The only way in and out of each room was through a trapdoor on the roof.

I know this post is different for me, but I hope you enjoyed the historical significance of it as much as I did...

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