Hovenweep National Monument, Cutthroat Castle Unit
The ruins of Hovenweep National Monument, in San Juan County,
Southeastern Utah, and in adjacent Colorado, protect some of the finest examples
of ancient stone architecture in the southwest.

The Cutthroat Castle Unit features more kivas than the other nearby Hovenweep
villages.
The kiva incorporated into Cutthroat Castle is not sunken, as is typical
of most kivas.

There were four towers at Cutthroat, one of which was square. Towers are often
paired with kivas.
The circular wall in the foreground adjoins the Cutthroat Castle kiva.
 
Towers have particularly well-fashioned stone construction, with hammered stone
surfacing.
The high grade of stone masonry of community structures is the most enduring.
For eight centuries, these walls have endured frequent freezing
and thawing cycles.


External Links
HOVENWEEP NATIONAL MONUMENT. The
official home page of
Hovenweep National Monument maintained by the National Park
Service.
Learn About the Ancestral Puebloans.
Crow Canyon Archaeological
Center's experiential education programs actively engage students in real archaeological
research and expose them to the historical and cultural perspectives of the native
peoples.
Natural Bridges National Monument
is located 80 miles west of Hovenweep between Blanding and Lake Powell.
Canyonlands
and Arches National Parks are located
about two hours northwest of the monument. |