about

Mesa Verde National Park.

     Mesa Verde National Park is 81.4 square miles of some of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the world.  The park was established in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt.  Mesa Verde National Park is located in Montezuma County, Colorado and is the largest archeological preserve in the United States.

     The canyons and cliff overhangs were created by a combination of uplift and erosion.  The Park's name Mesa Verde is Spanish for green table.  It was given this name by the Spanish who passed through the area and observed the flat surfaces covered wth green trees.  They never observed the dwellings located within the cliffs. 

      The cliff dwellings were once the home of ancestral Puebloans who lived there between 600 and 1300 AD.  There are more than 600 dwellings and 5000 archaeological sites within the park.  Mesa Verde offers a fascinating look into the lives of an ancient civilization.   

      The original peoples probably initially lived on top of the plateaus and then moved down into the  cliff alcoves to allow for more crops (of corn, beans, and squash) to be grown above or to escape attacks by other tribes.  They lived in the dwellings for about 700 years and then relatively suddenly abandoned them.  Likely due to an extended drought.   

     One of the most notable Puebloes at Mesa Verde is Balcony House, which has 45 rooms and 2 kivas (rooms which were set aside for religeous rituals).  Other ruins of inteerst include multi-storied structures, towers reservoirs, and villiages.  Four of the most popular attractions at Mesa Verde are:  Cliff Palace, Balcony House, Spruce Tree House, and Long House.  Most of these are self and/or ranger guided tours.  The Mesa Top Loup Road takes visitors to 12 historic sites.  

      My intent here, with the Mesa Verde photos, is not to go into verbal depth on anything.  But, to let the photos and their sub-titles speak for themselves.  We add new items and information, to the site, monthly.  Be sure to look for page links.  Over half the site (and ALL of the really cool non-product information-like this page) is buried in these page links.  So, just like at the museum, look for all the little things (links) that might otherwise be overlooked.  Enjoy!!!

 

Cliff Palace.

Cliff Palace.

Spruce Tree House.

Balcony House .

Tower..

Narrow entrance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Cliff Palace.

Cliff Palace.

Spruce Tree House .

Long House.

Ladder to higher level.

Inside of room with miltiple levels above.

 

 

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Cliff Palace.

Cliff Palace. .

Spruce Tree House. .

Inside of a room.

Passage.

Mesa Verde pictograph.

 

 

 

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Cliff Palace.

Cliff Palace.

Balcony House.

Inside of room looking up to floor above.

Open kiva.

 

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