Tuzigoot National Monument: a castle in the desert

while in the Cottonwood area on an adventure i saw a sign for the Tuzigoot National Monument. now in my many drives up and down i17 i had often seen signs for it, but i never had a chance to stop there until recently. honestly once i passed through old cottonwood and onto what looked like a pretty empty road i was not expecting much. even upon crossing over the Verde river and seeing what looked like a pile of rocks on a small hill, i will admit i wasnt impressed. but when i entered the information building to pay my whole five dollar entry fee (cheap as shit, and totally worth it) and proceeded to read about the people who called this stone city on the top of a hill home, i started to be impressed.

Tuzigoot was originally built between 1125 and 1400 CE by the Sinagua people. they built this city on the top of  hill, the highest point in the valley that they farmed- giving them an incredible view of everything around them for miles. there were over 110 rooms built and yet, doors werent very popular, instead they used ladders through trapdoor like openings.

walking up the steep, winding path to the ruins i must admit i began to feel awe. looking around me at the lush, green fields and the distant but distinct sound of the water of the Verde i began to see what was tactically speaking a fabulous location. off in the distance i could even see the city of Jerome.

the buildings seemed haphazardly stacked on top of each other and while i walked i began to see a layout that made sense to me. the walls are made of what looks like stones roughly shaped, but modern at the same time. the rooms sit on each other, tightly stacked and as you end up higher and higher in the complex the view becomes more and more amazing.

there is one building that they restored enough to have you walk on the roof to look out over the valley and its pretty awesome. honestly, the inside reeks of bat guano, but with it totally open to the elements it makes sense that they would make a home there.

 

some of the details i found really interesting were the importance of the valley for trade routes, the pottery, and the mining history of the area. seriously, now shit. without the use of modern technology the indigenous tribes of the area had mined 20 feet into the solid rock mountain side to harvest minerals to decorate pottery, make dyes, create jewelry and make up for the lack of salt in their diet. badass, considering that was accomplished with rocks on rock violence.

also, the trade of the pottery was really interesting. the pottery done by the original indigenous people was very simple and utilitarian, but there were gorgeous pieces decorated with lovely patterns that were from other locations and were obviously highly prized by the families that lived there.