Day 275

August 5, 2020

Tuzigoot National Monument is truly amazing. I never considered something like this existed in the US. In my mind runs of this sort are only found in places like Tikal in Guatemala (need to get back there soon), or Monte Alban in Mexico (was lucky enough to visit in October last year). Basically Aztec, Mayan, or, further south, Inca. I was so excited the find this beautifully preserved piece of Native history, as well as Montezuma Castle with it’s “apartments” carved into the limestone cliff, not too far way. And so I spent the afternoon exploring both today. It was extremely hot, above 100° Fahrenheit but, as they say, dry heat is very different. It wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as one would expect.

Tuzigoot dates back from the 12th to the early 15th centuries. It was built by the Sinagua people near the Verde River. The Sinagua built several “pueblos” in the area but Tuzigoot is the best preserved. The tall section in the photo above is approximately three stories tall and may have served as a space for public use. The pueblo was excavated from 1933 to 1936 and was designated a U.S. National Monument on July 25, 1939 by President Roosevelt. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. There is a museum that was built shortly after excavation was completed. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions I was unable to visit the museum.

All in all a very fun day. More details may be found in the Sedona 2020 entry in the Travel section.

Camera: Canon DLSR
Lens (18-55mm): 18mm
Shutter Speed: 1/100
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 100