There are some truly amazing places in this world and the Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park is one of them. You can take a tour of this Colorado mountainside village if you’re up for some stairs and a little climbing. It’s the largest of it’s kind in North America. The trail itself is only about a quarter of a mile round trip and requires tickets and a guide. What’s particularly chilling about this place is the mystery of the departure of the inhabitants within.
The Anasazi, or the “ancient ones,” were an ancient civilized group of Native Americans dating back to 13th century A.D. Their descendants today are known as the Pueblo natives. The Hopi and the Zuni are two of these Pueblo tribes. The secrets of their ancient ancestors are closely guarded, which leaves archaeologists to try and figure out the mystery. What they have uncovered is nothing short of horrific.
Discoveries were made indicating that a severe draught hit the area during this time period. Originally it was thought that this is what caused the natives to flee. Archaeologists continued to dig and in doing so, they found a few things that might prove that to be inaccurate.
Remains were found that indicate brutal murders and cannibalism took place. The rest is all speculation. One belief is that the Anasazi were terrorized by invading tribes. This might explain the cliff-side dwellings. Being high up provided them with a better view to see enemies coming. The Anasazi had burial rituals which they performed for their deceased and the remains found didn’t follow this process. In one instance human excrement was found next to unburied remains. In the excrement was evidence of human consumption. It’s thought that this was done as a final insult to the deceased.
Another theory is based on religious belief. The descending natives dislike this one. Some believe that the cannibalism was part of a religious practice and that they abandoned this area to seek a home that would be more pleasing to those that they worshipped. This theory doesn’t usually hold up due to the uncharacteristic abandonment of their deceased.This round indention is known as a kiva, which was used as a ceremonial structure. One thing holds true, though, something dreadful happened to those people. It’s a mystery as great as that of the Mayans. An ancient people long forgotten. These ancient mysteries hold an enormous fascination to a great many people. If you are one of those people, then this is a place you should visit.
Along with the ruins of an ancient civilization, comes a certain haunted aspect. Walking through this mountain palace and retracing the steps that were taken by those who built it, should be a spine tingling experience. Devastating events have a tendency to leave a mark on an area. This long standing mystery is one of the earliest tragedies and most likely left something lingering about.