Hovenweep Castle and Square Tower

Hovenweep House, Square Tower, and Hovenweep Castle

    Down in the canyon stands Square Tower, two stories tall. Situated on a large sandstone boulder, it was built in a slight spiral shape, perhaps for added strength or for aesthetics. The single T-shaped doorway faces west. There is evidence of an earlier doorway facing the spring at the head of the canyon. A kiva was excavated beside Square Tower. Unlike many tower-kiva associations elsewhere, Square Tower and its kiva were not connected by a tunnel.
    The large hackberry trees growing beside the tower tell of the seep that trickles under the alcove. It was the presence of this precious permanent water source that held the Square Tower settlement together.

Hovenweep Castle
    Hovenweep Castle consists of two D-shaped towers perched on the rim of Little Ruin Canyon. The stone walls, two and three courses thick, show detailed masonry techniques. Growth rings on a wooden beam in one tower indicate that the log was cut in A.D. 127, one of the latest dates on any structure in the San Juan region. A residence was associated with the "castle," but the people who lived here were farmers, not kings and queens.

Hovenweep Castle may have looked like this as an active residence.
Tower Point
    The most striking feature of Tower Point itself is the commanding view up and down Little Ruin canyon. In the alcoves just below the rim, you will see rooms where crops such as corn, beans, and squash were stored. A surplus harvest was essential to the ancestral Puebloans because they had to get through the inevitable bad years when crops failed. These granaries had to be tight and secure against rodents and seeping water.     Imagine the life and times of the residents of Square Tower community. It was a neighborhood of farmers who, with resourcefulness and intimate knowledge of climate, soil, sunlight, and moisture succeeded in raising enough food to sustain a sizable population, perhaps 100 to 150 people. Life was good for a time. The seep at the canyon head flowed with water. There was enough corn to store away for lean times and there were small animals and wild plants to add to the menu. There was even enough time to construct the large towers that were integral to the community. HOME PAGE .