In the Cliffs of Mesa Verde
Climb into the Colorado cliff dwellings and imagine what life was like for the Ancestral Pueblo Indians who lived there
- By Laura Helmuth
- Smithsonian magazine, January 2008, Subscribe
Mesa Verde's cliff dwellings are a little crumbly in places, and looters took away most of the pottery and baskets a century ago. But as you explore the southwestern Colorado national park, it's easy to imagine the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo Indians who built these cliff houses 800 years ago.
Ancestral Puebloans grew squash, corn and beans on the mesa and lived in simpler pit houses as early as A.D. 600. They began building cliff houses in the 1200s: multistory structures of sandstone bricks and mortar, tucked into deep rock alcoves.
The building boom occurred during a time of plenty. Archaeological research reveals that the first cliff dwellers ate deer and bighorn sheep and had tall, straight timbers for their roofs. Then came the lean years, according to park ranger Paul Ferrell. People hunted out the big game and deforested the mesa. In 1276 a 23-year drought began. The Ancestral Puebloans abandoned the site by 1300.
Cowboys found the cliff dwellings in the 1880s and subsequent explorers plundered them—until much of the mesa was turned into a national park in 1906. That protection, plus the arid climate and the shelter from overhanging rocks, beautifully preserved the cliff dwellings as well as artwork chiseled into cliff faces.
If you're not too bothered by climbing steep ladders or crawling through tunnels, you can tour several of the sites, including the largest cliff dwelling in North America. In some dwellings you can still see ceilings blackened by hearth smoke.
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Related topics: Travel Colorado
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Comments (9)
i had the opportunity to visit here in summer of 2009. it was an awesome site to see. be physically fit to walk and climb though.
Posted by thelma harbonic on September 3,2011 | 10:39 AM
Great Photo! For more information on Mesa Verde and the 60,000 Anasazi that once inhabited the 4 corners area go to www.crowcanyon.org (Crow Canyon Archaeological Center) in Cortez, CO (45 miles west of Durango)...
They offer fabulous archaeological programs (digging in the field and labwork) for all ages from age 13-80+! and also offer cultural exploration trips with cutting edge scholars! Check it out!
Libby Shafer
Posted by Libby Shafer on August 5,2011 | 07:06 PM
If you're interested in the archaeology of Mesa Verde, check out an organization called Crow Canyon Archaeological Center www.crowcanyon.org. You can actually spend a week in the Mesa Verde area excavating with professional archaeologists and learning all about the Ancestral Puebloan Indians.
Posted by Connie Moramarco on August 3,2011 | 08:05 PM
Been there. very intresting.
Posted by Jan on March 4,2011 | 08:13 AM
Are there any films or tv shows about Mesa Verde which also show all the nooks and crannies of Mesa Verde for those of us who will never get a chance to visit it.
Posted by Elle on February 4,2011 | 12:34 PM
Great photographs and great information
Posted by Jacob F. Grimm on March 10,2010 | 05:30 PM
Be sure to check out Mesa Verde Country's website for more info on Mesa Verde, too. They have a lot of interesting information about the Area.
Posted by Alicia on October 25,2009 | 05:43 PM
The American West Travelogue has a good piece on Mesa Verde, with some cool photos of the steep ladders. Check it out: http://www.amwest-travel.com/awt_mverde.html
Posted by April Dávila on June 29,2009 | 10:43 PM
this website is amazing the facts about how it was made and its perfect for reports because it has all the information you need!Also i think its a website that tells you about and what you need to know unlike other websites only tell you 2 things then fustrated you got to go to a diffrent one it just akes up the time you could be having i just love this site!!!!!!
Posted by on February 25,2009 | 09:08 PM
I heard about your article of the "28 places" but was very disappointed that on December 30th, the Barnes and Noble Store in Ventura, California still had not received this issue, apparently from their suppliers. Although I was happy to read the article on line, and I loved the article, however, I still need to get the real thing, the magazine!!. Julie
Posted by julie merrill on December 30,2007 | 06:51 PM