38-521: Montezuma Castle may refer to: Montezuma Castle National Monument in Camp Verde, Arizona Montezuma Castle (hotel) , a former hotel in Montezuma, New Mexico Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Montezuma Castle . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
76-489: A "prehistoric high rise apartment complex". Montezuma Castle is situated about 90 feet (27 m) up a sheer limestone cliff, facing the adjacent Beaver Creek, which drains into the perennial Verde River just north of Camp Verde . It is one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America, in part because of its ideal placement in a natural alcove that protects it from exposure to the elements. The precariousness of
114-565: A distinct rainy season. Also subtropical areas like Florida , South and Southeast Texas, and southern Louisiana in the United States have a rainy season. Monsoon regions include the Indian subcontinent , Southeast Asia (including Indonesia and Philippines ), northern sections of Australia , Polynesia , Central America , western and southern Mexico , the Desert Southwest of
152-544: A key role in the climax of the Western Flaming Feather (1952), which was shot on location at the site. The Rocky Slope Residence was designed by well-known Phoenix Valley architect Eddie M. Jones and the residence had strong architectural similarities to the Montezuma Castle Monument. The design and the residence were featured by many magazines including the "Architect Magazine" in 2013. The design
190-548: A program in order to record and identify any changes in the environment and its inhabitants. An inventory of plants and animals at Montezuma Castle was taken between 1991 and 1994 by researchers from Northern Arizona University and the United States Geological Survey . According to the United States Geological Survey , about 784 species were recorded at Montezuma Castle National Monument, including plants, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Only 11% of
228-643: A set of well-preserved dwellings located in Camp Verde, Arizona , which were built and used by the Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture closely related to the Hohokam and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern United States , between approximately AD 1100 and 1425. The main structure comprises five stories and about 20 rooms and was built over the course of three centuries. Several Hopi clans and Yavapai communities trace their ancestries to early immigrants from
266-615: A wet season in the winter months. Similarly, the wet season in the Negev Desert of Israel extends from October through May. At the boundary between the Mediterranean and monsoon climates lies the Sonoran Desert , which receives the two rainy seasons associated with each climate regime. The wet season is known by many different local names throughout the world. For example, in Mexico it
304-603: Is equally distributed throughout the year. Some areas with pronounced rainy seasons will see a break in rainfall mid-season, when the Intertropical Convergence Zone or monsoon trough moves to higher latitudes in the middle of the warm season. When the wet season occurs during a warm season, or summer , precipitation falls mainly during the late afternoon and early evening. In the wet season, air quality improves, fresh water quality improves, and vegetation grows substantially, leading to crop yields late in
342-503: Is known as "storm season". Different names are given to the various short "seasons" of the year by the First Nations of Northern Australia : the wet season typically experienced there from December to March is called Gudjewg . The precise meaning of the word is disputed, although it is widely accepted to relate to the severe thunderstorms, flooding, and abundant vegetation growth commonly experienced at this time. In tropical areas, when
380-547: The American Antiquities Act , signed [1] earlier that year. It is one of the four original sites designated National Monuments by President Theodore Roosevelt . Montezuma Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. It is an easy monument to visit, just a short distance off Interstate 17 , at exit 289. There is a 1 ⁄ 3 mile (0.54 km) paved trail starting at
418-529: The Arizona sycamore , a large hardwood tree native to the Verde Valley. Evidence of permanent dwellings like those at Montezuma Castle begins to appear in the archaeological record of Arizona's Verde Valley about 1050 AD. The first distinctly Sinagua culture may have occupied the region as early as 700 AD. The area was briefly abandoned due to the eruption of Sunset Crater Volcano , about 60 miles (97 km) to
SECTION 10
#1732855687762456-555: The Montezuma Castle/Beaver Creek area. Archaeological evidence proves that the Hohokam and Hakataya settled around or in the Verde Valley . Clan members periodically return to these ancestral homes for religious ceremonies. Neither part of the monument's name is correct. When European-Americans first observed the ruins in the 1860s, by then long-abandoned, they named them for the famous Aztec emperor Montezuma in
494-468: The Sinagua people apparently abandoned their permanent settlements and migrated elsewhere, as did other cultural groups in the southwestern United States around that time. The reasons for abandonment are unclear, but possibilities include drought, resource depletion , and clashes with the newly arrived Yavapai people. Due to the very little human contact since abandonment, Montezuma Castle was well preserved. It
532-787: The United States, southern Guyana , and northeast Brazil . Northern Guyana has two wet seasons: one in early spring and the other in early winter. In western Africa, there are two rainy seasons across southern sections, but only one across the north. Within the Mediterranean climate regime, the west coast of the United States, the southwest coast of Australia and South Africa, the Mediterranean coastline of Italy, Spain, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey, as well as areas further inland in Western Asia which include Jordan, Northern Iraq and most parts of Iran, experience
570-403: The beginning of the wet season. The onset of the rainy season signals the departure of the monarch butterfly from Mexico. Tropical species of butterflies show larger dot markings on their wings to fend off possible predators and are more active during the wet season than the dry season . Within the tropics and warmer areas of the subtropics, decreased salinity of near shore wetlands due to
608-554: The charging of local aquifers during the wet season. Water also softens, as the concentration of dissolved materials reduces during the rainy season. Erosion is also increased during rainy periods. Arroyos that are dry at other times of the year fill with runoff, in some cases with water as deep as 10 feet (3.0 m). Leaching of soils during periods of heavy rainfall depletes nutrients. The higher runoff from land masses affects nearby ocean areas, which are more stratified , or less mixed, due to stronger surface currents forced by
646-460: The dwelling's location and its immense scale of floor space across five stories suggest that the Sinagua were daring builders and skilled engineers. Access into the structure was most likely permitted by a series of portable ladders, which made it difficult for enemy tribes to penetrate the natural defense of the vertical barrier. Perhaps the main reason the Sinagua chose to build the Castle so far above
684-423: The ground, however, was to escape the threat of natural disaster in the form of the annual flooding of Beaver Creek. During the summer monsoon season , the creek frequently breached its banks, inundating the floodplain with water. The Sinagua recognized the importance of these floods to their agriculture, but likely also the potential destruction they presented to any structures built in the floodplain. Their solution
722-740: The heavy rainfall runoff. High rainfall can cause widespread flooding, which can lead to landslides and mudflows in mountainous areas. Such floods cause rivers to burst their banks and submerge homes. The Ghaggar-Hakra River , which only flows during India's monsoon season, can flood and severely damage local crops. Floods can be exacerbated by fires that occurred during the previous dry season, which cause soils which are sandy or composed of loam to become hydrophobic, or water repellent. In various ways governments may help people deal with wet season floods. Flood plain mapping identifies which areas are more prone to flooding. Instructions on controlling erosion through outreach are also provided by telephone or
760-560: The internet. The wet season is the main period of vegetation growth within the Savanna climate regime. However, this also means that wet season is a time for food shortages before crops reach their full maturity. This causes seasonal weight changes for people in developing countries, with a drop occurring during the wet season until the time of the first harvest, when weights rebound. Malaria incidence increases during periods of high temperature and heavy rainfall. Cows calve, or give birth, at
798-437: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montezuma_Castle&oldid=933002102 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Montezuma Castle National Monument Montezuma Castle National Monument protects
SECTION 20
#1732855687762836-490: The middle 1100s AD with remodeling and additions in the last decades of the 1200s. A neighboring segment of the same cliff wall suggests there was an even larger dwelling ("Castle A") around the same time, of which only the stone foundations have survived. Its discovery in 1933 revealed many Sinagua artifacts and greatly increased understanding of their way of life. The latest estimated date of occupation for any Sinagua site comes from Montezuma Castle, around 1425 AD. After this,
874-552: The mistaken belief that he had been connected to their construction (see also Montezuma mythology ). Having no connections to the Aztecs , the Montezuma Castle was given that name due to the fact that the public had this image of the Aztecs creating any archaeological site. In fact, the dwelling was abandoned more than 40 years before Montezuma was born, and was not a "castle" in the traditional sense, but instead functioned more like
912-421: The monsoon arrives, high daytime high temperatures drop and overnight low temperatures increase, thus reducing diurnal temperature variation . During the wet season, a combination of heavy rainfall and, in some places such as Hong Kong , an onshore wind, improve air quality . In Brazil, the wet season is correlated with weaker trade winds off the ocean. The pH level of water becomes more balanced due to
950-403: The north, in the mid-11th century. Although the short-term impact may have been destructive, nutrient-rich sediment deposited by the volcano may have aided more expansive agriculture in later decades. During the interim, the Sinagua lived in the surrounding highlands and sustained themselves on small-scale agriculture dependent on rain. After 1125, the Sinagua resettled the Verde Valley , using
988-462: The reliable watershed of the Verde River alongside irrigation systems left by previous inhabitants, perhaps including Hohokam peoples, to support more widespread farming. The region's population likely peaked around 1300 AD, with the Castle housing between 30 and 50 people in at least 20 rooms. Radiocarbon dates from multiple construction beams show that the cliff dwelling was probably constructed in
1026-743: The season lasts at least one month. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the tropics and subtropics . Under the Köppen climate classification , for tropical climates , a wet season month is defined as a month where average precipitation is 60 millimetres (2.4 in) or more. In contrast to areas with savanna climates and monsoon regimes, Mediterranean climates have wet winters and dry summers. Dry and rainy months are characteristic of tropical seasonal forests : in contrast to tropical rainforests , which do not have dry or wet seasons, since their rainfall
1064-412: The season. Rivers overflow their banks, and some animals retreat to higher ground. Soil nutrients diminish and erosion increases. The incidence of malaria and dengue increases in areas where the rainy season coincides with high temperatures, particularly in tropical areas. Some animals have adaptation and survival strategies for the wet season. Often, the previous dry season leads to food shortages in
1102-461: The species were non-native. Common species include bats, snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, foxes, owls and mice. The monument itself encloses 860 acres near the geographic center of Arizona and the intersection of the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range physiographic provinces. The dwellings and the surrounding area were declared a U.S. National Monument on December 8, 1906 as a result of
1140-463: The tools they used to build the dwellings. The museum houses many artifacts, such as stone tools, metates used for grinding corn, bone needles, and ornaments of shell and gemstone, which prove that the Sinagua were fine artisans as well as prolific traders. There is also a Park Store operated by Western National Parks Association. Montezuma Well, a natural limestone sinkhole, measuring approximately 100 by 120 yards, also containing Sinagua dwellings,
1178-472: The tropics can have two wet seasons, because the monsoon trough, or Intertropical Convergence Zone , can pass over locations in the tropics twice per year. However, since rain forests have rainfall spread evenly through the year, they do not have a wet season. Areas with a savanna climate in Sub-Saharan Africa , such as Ghana , Burkina Faso , Darfur , Eritrea , Ethiopia , and Botswana have
Montezuma Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue
1216-408: The visitor center that follows the base of the cliff containing the ruins. Access to the interior of the ruins has not been allowed since 1951 due to concerns about visitor safety and damage to the dwelling. About 400,000 tourists visit the site each year. The park is open from 8am to 5pm every day of the year, except for Christmas Day. The visitor center includes a museum about the Sinagua culture and
1254-414: The wet season is mainly due to daytime heating, which leads to diurnal thunderstorm activity within a pre-existing moist airmass , so the rain mainly falls in late afternoon and early evening in savanna and monsoon regions. Much of the total rainfall each day occurs in the first minutes of the downpour, before the storms mature into their stratiform stage. Most places have only one wet season, but areas of
1292-474: The wet season, as the crops have yet to mature. Crops which can be successfully planted during the wet or rainy season are cassava , maize , groundnut , millet , rice and yam . The temperate counterpart to the tropical wet season is spring or autumn . In areas where the heavy rainfall is associated with a wind shift, the wet season is known as the monsoon season. Many tropical and subtropical climates experience monsoon rainfall patterns. Rainfall in
1330-501: Was completed and approved by the City of Phoenix in 2007 and construction was completed by 2009. As seen in the photos, the house design has a strong resemblance to the curved walls of Montezuma Castle as well as the layered structure. Notes Bibliography Monsoon season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season ) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally,
1368-497: Was heavily looted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, though other Sinagua sites have remained more or less intact. Because of the rise in settlers, tourists and industries in or surrounding Montezuma Castle, the monument and even Verde Valley have been threats to the preservation of Montezuma Castle. Due to the lack of basic knowledge on the natural resources of the national parks, the National Park Service created
1406-410: Was purchased by the federal government in 1947 and is considered a detached unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument. It is located about 5 miles north of the Castle near the town of Rimrock, Arizona , accessible from exits 293 and 298 off Interstate 17. Montezuma Castle National Monument has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen : BSk ) with cool winters and very hot summers. Montezuma Castle plays
1444-416: Was to build a permanent structure in the high recess afforded by the limestone cliff. The walls of Montezuma Castle are examples of early stone-and-mortar masonry, constructed almost entirely from chunks of limestone found at the base of the cliff, as well as mud and/or clay from the creek bottom. The ceilings of the rooms also incorporated sectioned timbers as a kind of roof thatching, obtained primarily from
#761238