The Enigmatic Montezuma Castle and Well in Arizona, USA | Ancient Architects 

Thank you for watching. If you want to support the channel, you can become a Member of the channel at ru-vid.com/show-UCscI4NOggNSN-Si5QgErNCwjoin or I’m on Patreon at www.patreon.com/ancientarchitects

I've done a fair amount of archeological site work and exploration in that area. There are all kinds of cliff and mesa sites varying in size and complexity. Some are very remote so have not been vandalized or disturbed, still having artifacts in various states of preservation. We actually have found pottery and discarded sandals, grinding stones and hunting implements. The peoples that lived there were very agile!

My late wife and I visited Mesa Verde a few years back. It's breathtaking to see these structures, but the finest moment was when I entered one of the below ground Kivas and sat there by myself for a few minutes. I could literally FEEL the history around me as I pictured the original builders gathered there with me, crossing millenia to welcome me in their home.

Being an Arizona native, I’ve visited this site (and the well/aqueduct system nearby) dozens of times. One of my favorite places in the State! Thanks for making this video 😀

Finally, a place I've actually been to! And Sunset crater as well, where I helped rescues some dumb kids from a lava tube...they went in exploring using a book of matches to find their way but didn't think about needing more matches to find their way back out, and it's pitch black inside. Fortunately me and my friend had flashlights and went in to lead them back out. Their mother's were grateful. 1974.

Not sure why RU-vid put this in my feed today, but hey I'll take it. This is a fantastic place to visit if you're ever driving through the area. I've been here twice. The preservation here is absolutely incredible. It looks like it's still inhabited to some extent. Very cool site to visit. There is absolutely nothing else like it that I've ever come across in terms of the size and scale of the project.

I went here as a child, and it sparked my lifelong love of archaeology and past cultures. I even have a picture of Montezuma Castle that my father took on our trip hanging up in my bedroom. Thanks for doing this video!

I used to love there. It’s beautiful. However I doubt Beaver Creek flooding has anything to do with it. As the sandstone and other rock continually erodes, the ground level below the dwelling keeps rising. That means it was actually lower below the dwelling than it is today. That creek doesn’t flood enough to have affected it then. Also, the well down the road has extensive irrigation work around it that is very similar to what you see in Mexico-American and South America. They controlled the water flow extremely well with those irrigation lines for their crops. They are still there today and the area is really quiet magical. There is an ancient petroglyph wall down the road at V-bar-V Ranch and it records some very important astrological events as well as beautiful artistic carvings. The entire area all the way up past Flagstaff is full amazing archaeology. You should go sometime.

I live nearby. We visited the site. It’s pretty inspiring.

I highly recommended the book “The Chaco Meridian” about the archaeology of ancient southwestern native peoples.

It's definitely a treat to see you covering native American architecture. I have visited this site many times before and I've seen plenty like it, this and mesa verde are my favorite glad to see it on this channel.

It also is aligned such that it catches winter sun (and is possibly aligned to the Winter Solstice), and would be mostly shaded in the summer, very smart for a hot desert area. I visited the site a year ago, lovely place, thanks for highlighting it!

i visited the castle and well 2 years ago on my way to visiting sedona. the castle is a quick walk running parallel to the creek which is lined with huge sycamore trees that are yellow this time of year and stunning. you can see everything in an hour to hour and a half, but can only enjoy the dwellings from a distance. the well is a bit more immersive and just as beautiful. you can walk around the cenote and there's even a trail to get down to the water. the place is even more stunning from that perspective. there's even a trail to and along the creek which is definitely worth checking out if you go. i plan on going back to sedona next year with family who have never been and i'll definitely be taking them to both of these places!

I really want to thank you for this. This was my childhood stopping ground. I am now a world away and this really was a treat

There are several amazing ancient sites throughout Northern Arizona. There's Walnut Canyon National Monument which is located only ten minutes from Flagstaff. My favorite though is Wupatki National Monument, just north of Flagstaff. There's a very scenic road that guides you through the volcano fields around Sunset Crater then loops around Wupatki. If you ever get the opportunity, it's well worth your time!

Great video! I grew up not far from here, visited this site several times. There were several sites near my home along the Verde River that had been half-excavated, looted and abandoned. They instilled in me a sense of mystery and reverence for the past.

Wow, amazing and beautiful! Thank you so much for uploading!

Thank you for introducing our home in your show. There a lot more to learn about in this part of the world. Please look in to the hopi villages. As I am hopi.

I read about this cliff dwelling as a child in the 70's. I now live in Phoenix, AZ and was able to visit 4 yrs ago. It's easy to access and is only a very short walk from the visitors center. Children are free to enter. $10 for adaults if I remember correctly. Thanks Matt!😀

Protection from the elements, nature, enemies, and bigass man eating animals!

amazing video! I have visited this place many times. You covered the information so well. Most people dont mention the well that is nearby. It is a must see if you visit Arizona.

Wow.. very impressive castle. TQ for uploading and keep on educating us during this difficult time. Stay safe, take care & cheers! 🌟

A few years back, I had the privilege of hiking another Pueblo site, Chaco Canyon. I was delighted to find an actual artifact just resting on the ground near a ruined building on the high plateau above the canyon floor. It was obviously a stone grinding basin for processing meal. Apparently, it was too heavy for tourists to carry out let alone, lug down the precipitous stairway to the parking area below. I hope it remains there forever for all who dare to go that extra mile.

Fantastic!! Thank you as always, so many great videos.

So glad it is being preserved. Amazing story.

I lived in New Mexico years ago and was able to visit Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon and Bandolier National Park. The ruins in these locations are a real sight to see and the history is wonderful to learn. If you can, visit these places and more.

The stone work of this and other Anasazi sites is first rate. As a kid we visited smaller Anasazi ruins in the Green River area discovering that much of the stone work was held in place by a mixture of natural glued including pinion pine pitch still tenaciously doing it's job centuries later even in exposed areas. The respect I hold for these people is still

I love that many of the sites around there, including Wupatki, and all the way down to Casa Grande, all have examples of the famous ball courts. The sharing of culture along ancient trade routes is facinating.

Always impressed by the shear amount of work that went into structure like these

Very neat! Certainly added to my bucket list of places to visit here in the SouthWestern U.S.

This was a great video, was here back in 70s, nice to see has not been ruined

A fantastic video. I've never seen this part of the US, only flown over it. Thanks for letting me see what I've missed. Keep up the good work.

Well worth the visit. A bit frustrating, though, that you may view it only from a distance due to the amazing location in the middle of a cliff. Thanks for the video and story.

I’ve been busy with work for the passed few months. Look forward to catching up on your latest videos.

This place has been there forever but the first Ive heard of it. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Matt! I've been to Mesa Verde a few times , but didn't know about this.

Just visited this weekend and it's amazing. Highly recommend making the trip if possible

That was awesome! I knew there were other cliff dwellings beside Mesa Verde, but hadn't seen this place.

I think I was 9 or 10 when I first visited this beautiful place. Both places are amazing and awesome.

Fantastic Pictures😏👊Video. Thank you and be safe/stay healthy.

Awesome. I remember my first time I went on a class field trip to the castle. I had to be about 10 years old. I remember it like it was yesterday. In spring time , it is very beautiful .

Great video. Thanks!!!

Nice! Nice to see something besides pyramid videos. While fascinating, there are other places in the world who have had amazing architects. Thanks for recognizing some of those other places. Love your channel. Very well done! Thank you.

I’ve been to this site and I can attest that it is truly a magical place. The trails around the area give you spectacular views of the ruins and the surrounding area. There aren’t many archaeological locations in the US like this and I suggest if you go to AZ, don’t just visit the Grand Canyon, check out this “castle” as well as the well, and definitely meteor crater. Very cool places.

Thanks for this video. We visited the site just over 25 years ago on a tour of the SW states. Part of a memorable trip!

I was lucky to visit both. The well is stunning place. I will never forget it. Magical.

Well done Sir! I was there this time last year. Absolutely beautiful. Proposed to my Wife on the top of Cathedral Rock in Sedona on the same trip. Beautiful country. Check out Walnut creek canyon too. And of course the GIANT Meteor crater right across the steet!

Wow. That's very impressive. 😮 The architecture and colors of the stones are so beautiful and melancholy.❤

I read the tittle, though it got to be wrong ! It was worth to watch, really liked the video.

Thank you for this excellent video presentation on a long lost civilization !

Fantastic information. I have visited the general area but had never heard of this particular site. Will definitely wist it next time I pass through the are. Keep up the great work and good fortune in your en devours.

What really struck me about this site, was the stunning beauty of the river landscape in front of the castle.

Very interesting material, thank you for sharing. Sending love from Ontario Canada. ❤️🎶🍁

Saw it as a child in the 70s. It is literally mind blowing to think that it's 1000 +years old.

great video...very interesting. thank you

Great Job !!!

I used to go into the caves back in the early 70s. Just moved away from that area in 2018. There’s also deep caves off the creek. One was just under a house I rented goes in the direction of the castle.

Was there today. Because of the heat and the number of people there, this video puts it all together. Thanks for posting.

GOOD WORK!!!

Tuzigoot National Monument is also within an hours drive and well worth seeing, very cool!

Excellent,I’ve never heard about this structure.

Simply Nice One! Cheers Xxx

YES!!! FINALLY ON MONTEZUMA CASTLE!!! FINALLY!!! Thank you SO much!

Beautiful! I would like to visit someday and see this artifact for myself.

Awesome!!

Great video. Thx

Thanks very much for this video. I live in Phoenix AZ and love the whole desert dwelling history. As always, I learned several facts I hadn't known from your script, especially about the film episode, Another site of interest around here is the Casa Grande monument between Phoenix and Tucson. It would be great if you illuminated its' story in your ongoing work. Please consider it.

Great video

I was there in 1965 when I was 13 years old. I still remember that trip.

Elucidating and beautiful, thank you👋🌟✌

I lived right up the road from there. The well, that connects to Beaver Creek which is more like a large pond. They had quite an irrigation system for crops. I would go there several times a year to feed the huge turtles.

Thanks for this video, as it was the first time I'd even heard of this site! :-)

Such dope places. I want to visit again.

Well done. I love ancient American history.

When I worked for the NPS's Western Archaeological Center I had the opportunity of working, albeit briefly, at Montezuma's Castle and Canyon de Chelly. These are very cool places that required years of research to understand and constant maintenance to remain publicly accessible. Anyone visiting should allow time for visiting their museums and visitor's centers! It's unfortunate many similar sites were inundated when government flooded Lakes Powell and Mead, many without proper recordation. Park Service cliff dwelling properties receive the most publicity but there are many cliff dwellings on Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, native Reservation, and private lands. Sadly, many of the sites on federal and private lands have been heavily looted so their locations are protected. I saw what looters do and it's very destructive. In some Latin American nations those looting are often shot on sight because these activities destroy national cultural heritage. The US has rather laws against looting on public lands but prosecutions are difficult unless looters are caught in the act. Federal agencies use airplanes to detect looters. Personally, I'd have no objections if US looters were shot on site as there's so much money to be had selling certain artifacts to wealthy private collectors that fines and light prison terms don't serve as much deterent. In the 1990s, I was mapping an island on the Columbia River and happened upon looters. We caught them red handed, took pictures of the activity in progress, and then notified the relevant federal agency. We spent a few days quantifying and documenting the damage, and then testified for the FBI in federal court: the fine was $10,000.00, which was hardly commensurate to the damage the looters caused. I suppose my career in archaeology has made it impossible for me to understand why some folks find artifacts more valuable than the information they possess. There's no reason one can't appreciate artifact workmanship and the often irreplacable information study of them may yield. Data collection and comprehension however is tedious and requires time and training to undertake. Something to remember for those who care: if one buys an artifact at a rock and curio shop there's a good chance it came from a looting event. Collecting a single object while hiking isn't necessarily looting, although even that when done on federal and some state land is illegal. Even simple rock collecting on certain public lands is prohibited.

Hope your hanging in there and all your family are well!take good care love from Maitland ,Nova Scotia Canada eh!

That was a good one!!! And a local site for me! Representing the South West US over here!!! I wonder if Chaco canyon is in your future videos??🤔

thank you A.A Really well done.

Every time I blink you've a new video up :D

My wife and I dream of retiring and traveling in an RV all throughout the West seeing all the great wonders of History. This is now on the list!

It's incredible that it is still intact. I would have expected that cliff to have fallen on top of that structure multiple times over such a long period of time. Rain erosion and earthquakes.

awesome place... safe, warm and dry!!

Growing up seeing places like this and hearing stories of the old native people always got my imagination going. Old buildings are so incredible. I wonder what sparse bits of our society will be found in thousands of years.

Nice find.

Cliff dwellings were popular because free rainwater fell from the cliff edge right into their containers. They modified the channels on top of the slick rock to improve the flow of the collected rainwater.

Being from Phoenix ive been there several times. It us an amazing place. Thanks for the video

I visited Montezuma's Castle as a child in the summer of 1971 (yes, it used to be named in the possessive), and remember staring up at it from the observation decks from far below. It was stiflingly hot that day, with no movement of air in the valley. I live in Tucson, Arizona now, , about 200 miles south, and was struck by how the ceiling construction you show in Montezuma Castle is identical to what we see in historic and modern buildings around the state. The world renown resort and dude ranch, the Tanque Verde Ranch, displays it nicely on their website, here - www.tanqueverderanch.com/portfolio-item/ramada-salas/ , which itself, by the way, is within about 5 miles or less of Paul McCartney's ranch :-) A side note - at timestamp 6:32, President Theodore Roosevelt was long dead by 1966 (and so was President Franklin D. Roosevelt). Love your videos, Suzanne in Tucson

Beautiful places. I also love Tuzigoot

I just drove by this site on my way across the US. I couldn't stop because the lockdown. I was planning to. Thanks for the video.

I got to visit this site before it became a profit margin... It was a very beautiful place back in the late 80s ...I remember it very well and it's been burned into my memory ever since

amazing!!!!

I've been there twice. It's awesome. There's so the little river that runs at the bottom... at least when I was last there.

I've taken several of my family members who came to visit. They were awed at the Castle.

Good video

It's a really cool place to visit. I lived in Camp Verde and went there many times. I know of other places like it around the area. I loved living there, wished I never left.

Very cool.

Liked and subbed

The desert is so commanding, yet serene. It is mystical, much like the oceans and beaches.

What a treat! While our very own Ancient Architects cronicals Montezuma's Castle; Coast2CoastAM's youtube channel is covering -Montezuma's Lost Treasure Was Carried Through The Trail of the Ancient Ones! All in one day. Now, what are the odds of that happening? So cool!

I used to go to school in Rimrock AZ, right on Beaver Creek back in the early 1960's. Saw the floods many times.