It’s about the year 700 AD. The world is a very active place, with people beginning exploration across vast oceans. The Vikings are raiding European coastlines and the Mediterranean, while the Chinese Tang Dynasty is at its peak. The world was at war, as cultures fought to conquer new lands and spread out. Meanwhile, someplace in what is now Arizona, the Sinagua people are living a somewhat peaceful life of farming and developing trade routes in what is now the Verde Valley.
They built astonishing cliff homes in what is now called the Montezuma Castle and they built sprawling complexes of hilltop homes, such as the one at the now Tuzigoot Monument. While the Sinagua people did have their qualms with other nearby indigenous tribes, it didn’t stop them from becoming proficient builders, hunters, and traders. In fact, the Sinagua people left a great impact on the valley, and evidence of their successes are still present and preserved today.
Montezuma Well – An Example of Human and Nature Coexistance
Some 11,000 years ago, a limestone sinkhole developed due to the movement of underground water. Much like the sudden developments of sinkholes in Florida, this sinkhole opened up a crate that is over 300 feet across at its rim and filled with over 1.5 million gallons of water. While the well provides an endless supply of water, scientist have yet to find the source of the water. What they do know, is that the floor of Montezuma Well is a constantly moving, liquefied bottom of sand and silt that allows water to constantly flow upward, and absolutely nothing is able to penetrate downward. Even with current technology, scientists have yet to find the bottom of the well, due to the movement and upward force of the sand below. As objects are lowered, the sand forms a solid hold around the objects and prevents them from exploring any great depths.
Though humans have been in and around the Verde Valley for thousands of years, it wasn’t until about 600-700 AD that the Sinagua people made a home at the well. They built dwellings in the cliff face around the well and used the well as irrigation water for nearby crops. Evidence all around demonstrates how life around the well took place, more than 1000 years ago. Children played in the area while people worked and traveled vast networks of trails and trade routes.
A short distance away, water from the well leaks out into the valley. This is how over 1.5 million gallons a day make its way through the well. The ancient tribe of people were able to harness this water, by creating an approximate 7-mile-long irrigation channel that would branch off and provide water to various fields and people. It’s an astonishing example of ingenuity and creativeness that the Sinagua add to their already spectacular resume of building skills.
Life Inside the Well
The water from the well contains high amounts of carbon and arsenic. So much so, that very little life can survive living inside its water. In fact, the well contains only five lifeforms in its depths. What is also fascinating, is that the species that survive this water is not found any place else in the world. A diatom, a snail, a water scorpion, an amphipod, and a leech are the only known lifeforms inside the well’s toxic waters.
Imagine an ecology where the only five living things are so symbiotic, that not only do they all feed from each other, but they also all rely on each other to sustain their habitats and presence. It’s a unique management of life, where each species lives at varying depths, constantly hunting their prey while also hiding from its predator. During the day, amphipods live near the center of the well, out of reach of predatory birds, such as ducks and geese. During the night the amphipods flee the rising leeches that come from the bottom of the well to feed on them. The amphipods move to the outer edges on the surface, hidden in the pondweed, where many are sacrificed to the awaiting scorpions. Meanwhile, the snails and a single cell diatom wait still and hide from the action.
It’s a demonstration of a balance of nature, where the disappearance of any of the five species, will have great impact on the others.
Visiting Montezuma Well National Monument
The well is located about 11 miles from Montezuma Castle, a few miles off I-17. Along the entrance to the monument, be sure to stop by an ancient ruin of a Sinagua Pit home. One of the more common housing structures built by the Sinagua. Once you arrive at the monument parking lot, you will find a small ranger station, where you can have your National Park Passport stamped and pick up information about the well and other nearby monuments.
The walk up to the rim of the monument is a concrete sidewalk with some steps, that does have a decent incline. There are handrails along the edge, and unless you require the use of wheeled mobility, most can make the short walk up to the rim. My wife and I both have issues with our legs and knees, and were able to make the walk, though I do admit, it wasn’t as pleasant as we had hoped.
Once at the rim, you get an amazing view of the entire well. A look along the cliff wall directly to your left, and you can see a well-preserved cliff dwelling that boasts about 20 hand-built rooms in the rock face. A nice walkway around the rim gives an educational experience of how the well was formed and the life of those who lived near and used its resources. There is even a pathway for those that want to make the walk down into the well. It’s a great experience for anyone that has an hour or so to visit this National Monument. You will walk away in wonder of the engineering ability of an ancient people.
