What were the lives of the Sinagua people like, and how come they have faded into relative obscurity? The big, “you’re going to see these on the test tribes” are usually the Hopi, Anasazi, Apache, and Hohokam; as it turns out, the Sinagua did trade with these other Native tribes extensively as well. The Sinagua should be considered true engineers because the way their built their dwellings and how they farmed shows high levels of skill and proficiency, even by today’s standards. They used ladders to access the high cliffs, lugged up stone axes to pick out the interior of the alcoves, and used limestone pieces to serve as mortar for the cave walls. While the men were busy building the compound, the women often farmed and collected plants/berries. To ensure that their crops were irrigated in the blazing heat and sometimes brutal droughts, channels were dug from the Montezuma Well to the fields. Also, the crops were surrounded by rocks that absorbed most of the heat (the heat could then permeate to the plants during the cold nights). Their main crops were corn and beans, but cotton and squash were farmed periodically too.
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| The Sinagua people collected and ate a variety of plants such as roses, sagebrush, and buckwheat. The main trees were sycamores, acacia, and mesquite, and colorful fruits included cactus, yucca, grape, and hackberry (a type of sugar berry). They used these representations of nature in religious ceremonies and for more mundane purposes (i.e. lip balm, medicine, hair dye, and to ease dandruff). The other main part of the Sinaguan culture was hunting the various animals found in the Verde (Green) Valley. The men hunted dogs, turkeys, macaws, snakes, and rodents with handmade spears and bows; the animal skins were put to good use as well. One of the main hubs of trading (where the men could sell their skins and the women, their plants) was the Montezuma Well. Especially during periods of intense drought, the Well was often the only respite and lifeline of the Native people. If the Sinagua people had a steady source of water, food, and trading, what prompted them to leave? Several theories have been proposed by scholars, including drought (which destroyed the crops) and diseases that wiped out the population of children (i.e. anemia). Without healthy children, the remaining Sinaguans probably moved to a more secure and hospitable environment (did the alcove rooms have a negative effect on the sensitive youth?). |
The lives of the Singuan people passed from reality into distant legend in 1864, when a group of explorers actually coined the names “Montezuma Well” and “Montezuma Castle.” They mistakenly believed the ruins were connected to the extensive and far-reaching Aztec Empire that had their king, Montezuma, at the helm. The National Park Service eventually took control of the “Castle,” but the monument was officially closed to the public in 1951. The structure was deemed too fragile and most of the interior had already been plundered (except for special weaving and cloth that was found).
Shadow Box
What was my experience at the Castle? It was definitely something to see, although it was a tad anticlimactic. I had expected to actually be allowed to explore and take pictures inside the structure, but alas, that was prohibited 63 years ago. The drive to the small information shop in front was scenic, especially if you like dusty roads, rising beige canyons covered with shrubs, and the hot sun casting its shadow for mile upon mile without end. It was extremely hot when I went, so make sure to wear sunscreen or stay under the ample shade of the sycamore trees! One neat exhibit on the ground was a small shadow box that had a reconstruction of Montezuma Castle. Press the “play” button and hear a narrated version of what everyday life was like for the Sinaguans. Because of this, I learned that the chief of the cliff dwellers would walk onto the roof of the highest story (the fifth) and survey his clan members toiling in the fields below and collecting water for domestic use. What a life.All Information comes from Montezuma Castle, National Monument, a book written in 1993 by Susan Lamb.
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