, 1890-10-30
MONTEzUMA' CASTIF
An Interesting Account q,
These Remarkable Ruins.
IT RESEMBLES an OLD CASTLE
One of the Most Picturesque =,
the Ancient Buildings of
That Regisn.

Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, of thu
United States army, while statloned
at Fort Verde, Ariz., explored "Mon.
tezuma's CASTLE" n remarkable relic
of the ancient semi-civilized raoo
that left 80 many monuments of n,
labor In Arizona. Up to n few wears
ago, no full exploration of thc,a
ruins had been made, and DR.
Mearns' description In the Octoher
Popular Science Monthly Is very in.
teresting. The "castle" is built in !.
recess I'm u limestone cliff overlook-
ing Beaver creek, three miles from
Fort Verde. It's lower story, entered
through n sub:gothic opening be.
tween three and four feet high and
two-thirds as wide, consists of two
rooms. One of them has u hole in
the ceiling 13xlS inches. The raft.
ers are made of willows, and the
room is smoothly plastered, the
plaster bearing the marks of friezcs.
Through the hole Ia the ceiling
entrance is had to the tier of room,
above, and SO on through the other
stories. There are five stories In all
and tho upper one has galleries and
battlement. The picture IL not I'm.
like the castles of the old world, and
the commanding position, forty feet
above the base of the cliff, whose
encircling wall of rock shelters 1t on
all sides but one, makes 1t well.
nigh impregnable retreat.
Some of the rafters show hatcbet
marks, and the implements remain.
ing about the apartments show
considerable skill and intelli.
gence.
DIR. Mearns found four feet of de-
bris and dust in one of the upper
rooms, and the work Of shovellng II
over was richly rewarded. lie said
of his discoveries:
1T is said that only n few axes,
metates, and other stone implements
with broken vessels of pottery, Were
found in this building when fint
explored by the whites. Upon my
first visit, In 1884, 1t was evident
that nothing more than superficial
examination had ever been made
In 1856 | caused this debris to be
shoveled over. This material con.
sisted of quantity of dust and
broken fragments Of pottery and
stone implements, together with an
enormous accumulation of guano
from bats that Inhabited this build.
ing. This accumulation, in the
largest room on the top floor, was
four feet In depth. AS no one had
ever disturbed II, the floor
was found in exactly the same
condition in which 1t was leh
by the latest occupants. In front
OF the entrance the remains Of a
fire were found, and goodly bun.
die of fagots lay against the wall at
n venient distance. An earthen
vessel contained tho food, and q
small basket Of mesquite seeds stood
hard by. On further search, II large
spoon of sycamore wood and some
gourd cups were found. A large
metate and grinder, weighing up.
ward of 100 pounds, proved to bes
troublesome acquisition to our col.
lection; but the labor expended in
getting IL safely down to the ground
served to increase our respect ior
those who carried II up. Shells and
shell ornaments were secured, e
well as paints of various colors.
Some oven-shapcd cupboards were
built along the wall, containing re-
mains of mescal, Spanish bayone',
nuts of the pinon pine and other
food substances; and corncobs were
found In abundance.
sin other parts of the building
several bone implements, including
wrought marlin spike, Fashioned
from the legbone of deer, were oD'
tained. Scalps or headdresses were
also unearthed. Indeed. the ma
terials here found formed quite ah
extensive collection, including nu'
merous food articles, bones OF van.
Gus animals, pieces Of cloth, mating
and basket work, ropes and cords o'
cotton and yucca, sticks for nre,
making, knitting and weaving anu
many other uses.
"None of the ancient buildings OF
this region exceed this one In plo
turesque grandeur, although many
are more extensive. Its very ioea'
tion excites admiration and inspires
respect for those who built 1t, wnAr
ever may have been the motive
which prompted to the selection y,
such site; nor Is 1t lacking ~
architectural beauty. Its exisIeh"
proves its great strength"
DR.. Mearns also describes his eH
ploration of ruined pueblos, OF 'e'
raced houses in the same region
One, pile of ruins $50 feet iops,
with remaining walls seven Ies,
high, and n mass of charcoal aou
debris representing the supersliussss ~
ure, which had been destroyer "
fire. a
Below the debris were iouhu
plastered vaults with human ske,"
tons, and in one place tombs OF ~
fants and children. The vaults wei
covered with fat stones, one a,os ~
which was painted red. The DoaWo |"
apparently had not been incasea s'.,,h N
burial clothes rs was the case VIM ns
other skeletons in other parts OF w
blIildiuu and I'm other ruins Oh All