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Published: October 21st 2009
Cliff Palace
This town-like site looks as though it is waiting for the residents to return.Leaving Monument Valley after breakfast, we headed North to Colorado. After driving around the enormous landform that proved to be Mesa Verde itself, we entered the National Park and drove up to the top of the mesa, then South to the area where most of the cliff dwellings are found. We checked in at the Visitors' Center and found that, in order to see the ruins up close, we would need to sign up for a tour guided by a park ranger. We chose to see the Cliff Palace, the largest of the ruins. After purchasing our tickets, we drove to the Cliff Palace site. While we waited for our tour to begin, we were able to view the site from above. It was hard to believe that what were seeing was real. It gave the appearance of a small town, perhaps a bit fallen down, but still capable of supporting an ongoing population. It was especially eerie to realize how isolated these people chose to be, far up a canyon near the top of the mesa. Given that the site is at around 8,000 feet, these people were clearly hardy and self-reliant. As the ranger explained to us, the advantages
Looking down the canyon
The depth and length of the canyon makes it very clear how remote the cliff dwellings were from valley below. of the site were that the top of the mesa was excellent for agriculture, had a natural water source (the spring at the back of the site still produces so much water that the Park Service had to install a drain for it so that it would not flood the site), was naturally warmed by the sun, and was protected by it's remoteness.
Archaeologists estimate that the buildings were begun in the 13th Century, and were occupied for hundreds of years. It isn't clear exactly why the site was abandoned, but it is likely that cultural changes ultimately made the site less attractive, including increased trade and interactions with other tribal groups, and more advanced agricultural methods. In any case, it appears that the people expected to return to the site one day, since they left stored food, furniture, and other artifacts in the buildings. One of the more fascinating things we saw in the Park's museum was a large pottery jar, surrounded by the 600-year-old corn that was found sealed in it.
I think we were all deeply impressed by Mesa Verde. It is a beautiful location, and very remote even now. The long-vanished people still exert
Storage areas
The structures on the upper story were all used for storage of food. The water supply is 90 feet back from the cliff face. a palpable presence there. Their descendants are found among the Pueblo tribes today. The many buildings and artifacts at Mesa Verde and other cliff dwellings in the Southwest are evidence of a highly organized society that flourished long before Europeans came to North America.
After visiting the Park museum, we left the Park and headed to Durango, where we spent a pleasant night. We had dinner at Carver's Brew Pub, good hearty food accompanied by great beer. The following morning, we set off for our next destination, St. Michael's Skeet (another Orthodox monastery) in New Mexico.
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Kevin
non-member comment
Enjoying the blog
Hey guys, I haven't checked your blog in a while, and finally found some time to catch up. The pictures you posted of the Southwest are very impressive. I've only been to Phoenix, but my brief and limited time out there was very eye opening to me. Living here in the east I am so accustomed to seeing green everywhere, it was different to see the desert and the lack of the green landscapes. Also, it was very different to see mostly flat land where your field of vision stretches to the horizon. Very different from the rolling hills of home. Hope all is going well, it looks like yall are really seeing some interesting and historic sites and having a good time.