A hilltop look at history

A great archaeological site, like great art, challenges our provincialism and expands our horizons.

Tuzigoot National Monument, outside Clarkdale, does exactly that, sweeping visitors back in time and bringing them face to face with a larger reality.

Its rough-hewn, vaguely castlelike walls stand atop a small ridge near the Verde River, a conspicuous reminder of the ancient society that once thrived in the area.