Ancient Ruins or Castles on the Border of Colorado and Utah?

The Southwest region of the United States is one of, if not the best places to visit to take in parts of the country's ancient history, and Colorado is home to many examples of this time period which predates the arrival of European settlers.

One of the most famous and well-preserved places with ruins that date back centuries is Mesa Verde National Monument, but it is not the only one of its kind in the state.

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In fact, a protected area that can be found in Southwestern Colorado's shared border with Southeastern Utah is similar to Mesa Verde in ways but instead of cliff dwellings, Hovenweep National Monument is home to ancient structures that still stand above ground and bear remarkable resemblance to castles.

Hovenweep's Ancient Castle-Like Structures on the Colorado-Utah Border

Archaeologists have dated the Hovenweep area between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah as far back as 8,000 BC, though the structures that still stand there are said to date back closer to 1,500 AD, though actual estimations vary widely between artifacts.

There are currently six clusters of buildings in the Hovenweep National Monument that once served as thriving establishments and homes to thousands of residents.

However, numerous factors including drought and overpopulation have been attributed to the abandonment of the civilizations with a European settler and missionary for Brigham Young, William D. Huntington, officially being named the first settler to discover the ancient, castle-like structures at Hovenweep.