The Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde National Park
In my travels, nothing has fascinated me more than The Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park. Hollywood and books of all sorts make us think the American Indians were large and fearsome warriors, but the people who lived in these cliffs were tiny by today‘s standards. An average man was about 5′4″(163cm) tall, while an average woman was 5′ or less (152cm). It is estimated they lived an average of 32 years.
In some places, the building looked to be carved out of the soft sandstone while in others the people used sandstone blocks, mortar and wooden beams. The mortar is a mixture of soil, water and ash.
Located in the southwest corner of Colorado, a loop drive takes the visitor to the Cliff dwellings and allows a good look into the canyon below from eight a.m. until sunset.
The cliff dwellings are an intricate, multi-level housing development in the side of a cliff with paths leading up canyon walls. It served as a nearly impenetrable fortress against other tribes, but it was confining as well. Once surrounded, there does not appear to be a way to go for provisions. It is guessed the people who lived in these dwellings farmed the land on the plateau above the cliff.
Other like dwellings can be found in the canyons of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Chihuahua in Mexico.
Tree ring dating indicates construction of the Cliff Palace may have begun as long ago as AD 1190 but was abandoned by the 1300s.
Forest Ranger tours and access to the cliff dwellings are available every day of the year. Don’t miss the fascinating museum filled with artifacts from inside the dwellings.
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Mesa Verde National Park (CO) (Images of America)
The Ancient Southwest: Chaco Canyon, Bandelier, and Mesa Verde
