Today, we got a close up look at two Ancient Pueblo cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park, just East of Cortez, Colorado. We were escorted by park rangers who established rules that were stricter than junior high school, the way it USED to be! NO food, NO drinks except clear water, NO gum, NO sitting on, NO leaning on, NO touching of rocks in the dwellings.
Descent and ascent from the mesa to the dwellings and back was a bit daunting for most of us "boomers" - a 32 foot ladder; steps carved out of the side of the cliff.....definitely got the old hearts pumping!
This matrilineal culture farmed the mesa above and eventually built living spaces in the crevasses in the cliffs below the mesa, formed from water from seepage springs, where sandstone met shale. These caves provided a steady water supply, and space for food storage, as well as protection from weather extremes and potential invaders from other clans and tribes. Occupation of these dwellings abruptly ended in 1280 AD, for reasons that are not completely clear.
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| A Cliffside Neighborhood |
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| Two, Sometimes Three Stories High |
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| Shale was Held Together by Mud |
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The Kiva - a Place to Gather
A Place of Warmth and Security
The Spiritual Center of the Clan
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| High Rise Condos??? |
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| Nice Architecture! |
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| Used to Grind Corn into Meal |
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| A Small Dwelling Tucked Away |
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| A View of the Valley Below |
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