| Hovenweep
is a Ute Word which means "Deserted Valley." Hovenweep
is located in Southeastern Utah and Southwestern Colorado.
The units are spread out in 2 States. The National Monument
is actually comprised of seven separate parcels. These groups are the Square Tower
Unit, Holly, Hackberry, Horseshoe, Cajon, Cutthroat, and Goodman
Point.
The sites were inhabited
by the Anasazi in the 1000s to the 1200s. The people who
lived here built stone towers and even small castle-like fortresses
at the same time castle building was going on in Europe.
The
majority of the ruins cling to Canyon rims on the edge of
small canyons. Some of the structures are 2 or 3 stories tall. Many of the towers were
built on sandstone boulders, or
in Canyons near springs. Although most are square, there are some D-shaped ruins. Additionally, there are a number
of remnants of kivas in the area.
In the 1920s, a small amount of excavation and restoration was done. The majority
of the ruins, however, look as they did hundreds of years ago.
Some
petroglyphs are located on the canyon walls beneath Hovenweep
Castle.
Location: Southeastern Utah and Southwestern Colorado. Close to Utah 262.
The Monument straddles the Utah-Colorado state line. Headquarters
are located at the Square Tower Group, just inside the Utah border.
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