One mystery that remains is exactly why the Sinagua abandoned their settlement of eight centuries in the early 15th century, leaving the then-300-year-old Montezuma Castle to the mercy of time. One speculation is that flooding of the neighbouring Hohokam people’s farmland may have prompted the Hohokam to invade Verde Valley and push the Sinagua out. Others believe that the decline of the Sinagua settlement occurred gradually, as they merged with Hopi clans further north and Yavapai moved in. Originally a hunter-gatherer group, the Yavapai still live in Verde Valley today. Montezuma Castle stood completely abandoned by 1425. It was rediscovered in 1583 by a small Spanish expedition from Mexico which, led by Antonio de Espejo and assisted by Hopi guides, was searching for precious metals. The next to settle Verde Valley were U.S. troops in the 1840s. With new life in the valley, Montezuma Castle was elevated from an abandoned dwelling to a site of national and historic interest. The site was protected by President Theodore Roosevelt’s Antiquities Act of 1906, becoming the first historic ruin to be named a National Monument, and has since attracted thousands of visitors every year. Site managers led guided tours up the cliffside on ladders to see the interior of the castle until 1951, when increasing numbers forced officials to consider preservation of the limestone. Now, only researchers are permitted access into the castle although there is a replica model, complete with furniture and inhabitants, on the path leading up to the site for tourists. RV Lifestyle DISCOVER THE CRR LIFESTYLE THIS WINTER! Award Winning Luxury RV Resorts in Arizona, California and South Carolina 2023-2024 Winter Specials Now Available Scan to Learn More CRRLifestyle.com/ Snowbirds CSANews | SPRING 2023 | 21
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