Near Camp Verde in Yavapai County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Growing a Livelihood
Photographed by James Hulse, June 19, 2024
1. Growing a Livelihood Marker
The space where you have been walking was a small part of the farmland cultivated by the people of Montezuma Castle. Crops provided more than food - the economy of the Castle community may have been based largely on trade and craft specialization, including cotton weaving. Textiles were important for everyday use, trade, and ceremonies, so the demand for cotton was high.
People also transplanted and cultivated agave to provide fibers for making strong twine used in ropes, nets, cords, bags, and sandals. Roasted agave hearts made a sweet food with calories equal to corn. Archeological sites in the valley yield abundant fiber cordage and numerous stone knives for harvesting and processing agave. The plant is still important to the Yavapai and Apache cultures, and is celebrated in modern agave harvests and roasts.
Captions
Though the Castle is the most visible, this site is actually home to a larger group of dwellings, including Castle A and numerous cavates and alcoves, like those visible at the left of this photograph.
Archeological excavations revealed shoes of agave fibers and leather at the site which were created by the Castle's prehistoric occupants.
Intermountain Museum Services
Erected by Montezuma
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 34° 36.701′ N, 111° 50.556′ W. Marker is near Camp Verde, Arizona, in Yavapai County. It is on Montezuma Castle Road one mile east of Beaver Creek Estates Road. The marker is located along the loop hiking trail at the Montezuma Castle National Monument. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2800 Montezuma Castle Rd, Camp Verde AZ 86322, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arizona’s Verde Valley and in the Yavapai-Apache Nation. It is also in the American Southwest and in the Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Alcoves and Cavates (a few steps from this marker); Lifeline / Prehistoric Produce
Photographed by James Hulse, June 19, 2024
2. The view of Montezuma Castle behind the marker
Other markers no longer nearby. The People Next Door (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed); The Neighborhood / Mysterious Departures (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Way Up / Construction Sequence (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . . Montezuma Castle - History & Culture. National Park Service
On December 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt celebrated the passage of the Antiquities Act by declaring four sites of historic and cultural significance as our nation's first National Monuments. Among these was Montezuma Castle,(Submitted on July 18, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)which the President identified as a place "of the greatest ethnological value and scientific interest." Although very few original artifacts remained in the structure due to intensive looting of the site, Roosevelt's decision assured the continued protection of one of the best preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings in North America.Photographed by James Hulse, June 19, 20243. Montezuma Castle
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 145 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 18, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
