Montezuma Well

Metates and manos, and burned ceiling beams as found in excavated ruin at cliff base west of Montezuma Castle.

The appeal of Montezuma Well consists largely in the sudden vision of a lake and large trees inside a barren hill in a dry region. This limestone sinkhole (or solution basin) in which a large spring flows is an unusual geological feature of considerable scientific interest.

In 1871 a U. S. Geological Survey party visited the Well. Although they thought themselves the first to explore it, they found a paper collar on the floor of a nearby cave dwelling! The area was first brought to public attention by Richard J. Hinton in hisHandbook to Arizona, published in 1878.

Looking across Montezuma Well to ledge ruin.

Aside from its geological interest, this area is a monument to the ingenuity of the former Indian inhabitants. Here they built their homes around the lake from which water was diverted into irrigation ditches for purposes of watering their farms.

Today the rim of the Well is 70 feet above the surface of the water. The lake measures over 400 feet across and the springs feeding it flow continually. Nature, in this manner, provided the Indians (and later settlers) with a huge supply of water for irrigation of the dry desert soil.

In May 1948, a diver went down into the Well to determine its depth and explore the bottom. After coming up from the first dive, he said the water was so warm that he had to remove all clothing except for his swimming trunks. The temperatures at the bottom and on the surface differ by some 4° to 7° in summer. On surfacing from another dive, he remarked that the black muddy bottom was broken by two white mounds of sandy material near the west shore, and that the water in this region was cool. Continued search in this spot did not reveal an actual inlet to explain the cool water or the presence of the limestone mounds, which may have been inlets at one time. Several descents revealed the saucer shape of the Well and a maximum depth of 55 feet near the center.

MONTEZUMA WELL AREAAPRIL 1958

Diagram of undercut grave at Montezuma Well.

The Well has a constant flow at the outlet spring of 1½ million gallons of water every day. A person viewing this cup-shaped depression, half filled with water, could easily doubt this statement of flow, for the surface presents a placid and serene appearance. The water, acting like a giant mirror, reflects the blue Arizona sky, and stimulates visiting photographers to take many pictures.

On the rim, and in the ledges and caves below, are remnants of former Indian homes—reminders that in the past this body of water stood for more than natural beauty. Its presence made possible a thriving farming community of about 150 to 200 Indians between 1125 and 1400.

Archeological features include the remains of two pueblos on the rim of the Well. The larger contained about 24 ground-floor rooms, and the other 15. Three small cliff dwellings are located in the western ledges and several rooms are hidden in a large cave near the place where the Well water goes underground before emerging at the outlet spring.

Two burial grounds have been discovered, one on the flat below the Well, and the other near the small pueblo. As mentioned in a previous section, the method in which the Indians at Montezuma Well buried adults was rather unusual. They excavated a rectangular pit in the ground, roughly 3 by 6 feet. About 3 feet below the surface, they broke through a fairly hard 8- to 10-inch limestone layer commonly found underground in this area. After digging about 2 feet below this layer, they dug to one side, underneath the limestone, forming an undercut grave. This was made large enough for thebody to lay at full length inside, and to accommodate funeral offerings, usually including pottery vessels. The undercut portion was closed with 3 or 4 large slabs of limestone, which were sealed with mud to prevent any dirt from entering. Then the pit was filled with dirt to complete the burial. Nowhere else in the Southwest are undercut graves quite like these found.

Modern irrigation ditch flows beside lime-coated bank of ancient irrigation ditch.

Along the north edge of the farmland you can see the most unusual feature at Montezuma Well: “fossilized” irrigation ditches of the ancient Indian farms! The water in the Well is warm and contains much lime. As the water flowed through the ancient irrigation ditches, some evaporated and lime particles settled to the bottom. Also, each time the Indians finished irrigating, they probably turned the water back into Beaver Creek to avoid flooding the farms. What little water remained in the ditches evaporated, leaving more lime particles. Over a period of time, these particles coated the ditches—thus actually cementing them. In this way the ancient waterways have beenpreserved as monuments to the first farmers of the Verde Valley. Interestingly, the same process continues today in modern irrigation ditches using waters from the Well.

The Spanish were the first Europeans to visit the immediate area of the monument. No reference by them to Montezuma Castle has been found; however, in 1583, the Antonio de Espejo Expedition probably visited Montezuma Well. Espejo journeyed from the Hopi Indian villages in northeastern Arizona to the Verde River, traveling down a stream identified as Beaver Creek—thus he had to pass Montezuma Well. A further indication that he passed the Well is found in one of the expedition journals which describes an abandoned pueblo and a ditch running from a nearby pond.

While the Verde Valley was Spanish and Mexican territory, no settlements were established in the immediate vicinity of the monument.

As a result of the war with Mexico (1846-48), the United States acquired the Verde Valley. By 1865, enough settlers had come into the valley to warrant the establishment of Fort Verde near the location of present-day Camp Verde. The earliest date of a pioneer visitor’s scratched inscription in Montezuma Castle is 1880; however, it is known that the ruin was visited by army personnel in the 1860’s. Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, who was assigned to the fort, wrote the first detailed account of Montezuma Castle. It was published in 1890 in thePopular Science Monthly, and described the ruin very much as it is today:

Upon my first visit in 1884, it was evident that nothing more than a superficial examination had ever been made. In 1886 I caused the debris on the floors to be shoveled over. This material consisted of a quantity of dust and broken fragments of pottery and stone implements, together with the accumulation of guano from bats that inhabited the building. This accumulation, in the largest room of the top floor, was 4 feet in depth. As no one had ever disturbed it, the floor was found in exactly the same condition in which it was left by the latest occupants.

A few years later, the first repair work was done. In 1897, members of the Arizona Antiquarian Association visited Montezuma Castle and, with funds raised by subscription, cleaned up the ruin and performed repairs including the installation of ladders, iron anchor rods, and corrugated iron roofs.

On December 8, 1906, by Presidential proclamation, 160 acres were set aside from the public domain to preserve Montezuma Castle as a National Monument. By Presidential proclamation of February 23, 1937, 366 acres were added to the area to give better protection to themonument entrance and to the area in the foreground of the ruin. On April 4, 1947, Montezuma Well was acquired by the Federal Government through purchase from private owners. This last purchase gave the monument a total area of somewhat over 1 square mile.

Montezuma Castle as it looked to early visitors.

Beaver Creek north of Montezuma Castle.

The landscape of the Verde Valley is wild, spectacular, and mountainous, dropping from forested mountain ranges and high mesas down to sparsely vegetated desert valleys with ribbons of dense growth bordering the valley streams. Clear desert air projects this rugged scene upon your mind with almost frightening intensity. Towering thunderheads and filmy streaks of high cirrus clouds emphasize the harshly blue skies.

Though the desert landscape looks bleak, it nourishes an astonishing variety of plant and animal life.

Typical plants of the desert flats and slopes are creosote bush, mesquite, cactus, yucca, and agave. Cottonwood, sycamore, and several species of willow flourish along streams and washes. You can see all of these plants within the monument boundaries—many of them on the nature trail below Montezuma Castle.

The monument, situated on the northern limit of the Lower Sonoran plant zone, exhibits other plants more typical of the higher region a few miles to the north where the Upper Sonoran zone begins. Some of these are hackberry, juniper, sumac, and Indian paint brush.

The plant collections at Montezuma Castle include 167 species representing 49 families. The wide variety of plants within this relativelysmall area attracts birds and small animals in their search for food. Undoubtedly these plants were an aid in supplementing the diet of the prehistoric Indians. Many wild plants were and still are used by the Indians of the Southwest for other purposes—basketry and sandal weaving, medicines, and ceremonial uses.

Collared lizards

In 1948 a preliminary survey was made of the plants in the Montezuma Well section—189 different plants representing 60 families were collected in that area alone. The variety of plantlife for food or other uses, in addition to the amazing water supply, made the Well a very attractive area for Indian settlement.

Many birds have been observed in the monument—149 bird species have been recorded at the Castle in 19 years of observation; and 140 species have been recorded at the Well since 1948. Many birds live in the region throughout the year, while others are seasonal visitors. Ducks and geese are plentiful in the winter, particularly at Montezuma Well, where they rest between their long flights.

The animals and reptiles of the monument are typical of this desert area. Most common are jackrabbit, cottontail rabbit, porcupine, raccoon, beaver, skunk, ground squirrel, rock squirrel, rattlesnake, bull snake, and water snake. Other forms of life which are present in the summer are lizard, black widow spider, tarantula, scorpion, centipede, and cicada (locust).

Beaver Creek—an oasis in the desert.

As long as you are reasonably careful about where you step and avoid putting your hands on ledges or in crevices, none of the poisonous species presents any danger.

Nature’s calendar of events for this area might read as follows:

Autumn—Crisp, clear weather; time for the departure of summer birds and arrival of winter ducks; beginning of the hibernation period for snakes, lizards, and insects; termination of autumn flowers.

Winter—Usually mild with occasional snow flurries; glimpses of deer and antelope coming off the mountains into the valley; continual traffic southward of ducks and geese on migration lanes; dominance of large flocks of juncos throughout the area.

Spring—High winds and occasional rains; spring flowers coloring the slopes and mesas; influx of insects along with insect-catching birds and lizards; appearance of snakes and rodents; departure of ducks for northern breeding grounds.

Summer—Heat and occasional thunderstorms to match the drama of the survival of the fittest—insects feeding on flowers and plants; birds and lizards feeding on insects; rodents feeding on seeds and eggs; snakes feeding on rodents; hawks and owls feeding on snakes and rodents; the scavenger of the desert, the vulture, cleaning up wherever he finds his meal; and the skunk continually knocking over the garbage pail.

Montezuma Castle is 5 miles north of Camp Verde, 60 miles south of Flagstaff, and 65 miles east of Prescott. It may be reached by U. S. 89 Alternate from Flagstaff via Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona, or by the same highway from Prescott through Jerome, Clarkdale, and Cottonwood, then on a State road through Cornville. It may also be reached by State Routes 69 and 79 from Phoenix, 95 miles to the south, through Camp Verde. Another approach from the south is the graveled road from Roosevelt Dam, via Payson, Pine, and Camp Verde.

Montezuma Well is 6 miles from the main entrance of Montezuma Castle National Monument. It is easily reached by going north from the Castle entrance on paved road for 2 miles; then, turn right at the road that passes through McGuireville a few hundred yards distant. Follow this road 4 miles to the entrance to the Well. A “back road” from Sedona reaches Montezuma Well from the north.

You may visit the area from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. any day in the year. The nominal admission fee is waived for children under 12.

Picnic grounds with piped water, fireplaces, and tables are available in both sections of the monument. Supplies cannot be purchased at the monument, but you will find stores and a restaurant in nearby Camp Verde. There is also a grocery store at McGuireville, between Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well.

You may see many types of ruins in the Verde Valley and in other parts of the Southwest. Most common are the pueblos. Most of them were occupied between A. D. 1100 and 1400. They range in size from 4 or 5 rooms up to more than 1,000 rooms. Many still stand several stories high. A few have open courts in which the people could gather for social or ceremonial purposes. None of the pueblos in the valley contain kivas, the ceremonial chambers so common in northeastern Arizona and adjoining districts of Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Conversely, ball courts are found in the Verde Valley and around Flagstaff but not in other Pueblo areas.

Two miles east of Clarkdale, Ariz., is Tuzigoot National Monument—an Indian pueblo of more than 100 rooms. Tuzigoot was occupied by Indians similar to those of Montezuma Castle, but they lived under somewhat different circumstances. They found tillable landand water for irrigation, but there were no caves to shelter their homes. Instead, they chose the end of a steep ridge that rises 120 feet above the Verde River. For defense, these Indians built their pueblo with few exterior doors; instead they used hatchlike openings through the roof. The pueblo was entered by ladders which could be removed. The ruins and an extensive museum are open between 8 a. m. and 5 p. m. every day.

Ruins at Tuzigoot.

Aside from the pueblos included in Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle National Monuments, there are other examples to be seen on the many buttes and mesas in the Verde Valley.

Among the thousands of open pueblo sites in the Southwest, the National Park System includes, besides Tuzigoot, the following outstanding examples: Casa Grande and Wupatki National Monumentsin Arizona; Aztec Ruins, Bandelier, and Chaco Canyon National Monuments in New Mexico; and Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

Many interesting areas can be reached easily from Flagstaff, Ariz. They include Walnut Canyon National Monument, a natural area of great beauty featuring 5 miles of cliff dwellings clinging to rock ledges; Wupatki National Monument, a series of remarkable pueblo dwellings; and Sunset Crater National Monument, site of the last active volcano in the Southwest. Sunset Crater was formed by an eruption which covered many early pithouse dwellings about A. D. 1064. The Museum of Northern Arizona, containing very fine archeological and geological exhibits is located near Flagstaff, on Fort Valley road.

Walnut Canyon dwellings.

One hundred and seven miles south of Montezuma Castle, near Roosevelt, Ariz., is Tonto National Monument, where other cliff dwellings may be seen.

Montezuma Castle National Monument is administered by the National Park Service of the U. S. Department of the Interior. A superintendent, whose address is Camp Verde, Ariz., is in immediate charge.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1977O-244-528

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