It is the only major cliff dwelling in the park that can be seen from an overlook. I was disappointed in my pictures of the Weatherhill Long House, but here you can see the dwellings from a distance and get an idea of what the whole settlement looks like in two photos.
The tour starts on the left and moves off to the right.
A tighter shot also taken from the overlook. Notice the tower in this photo and a comparison of what the site looked like when it was first photographed by a Swedish Scholar, Gustaf Nordenskiold, in 1891. He was the first to scientifically study the site though it was officially “discovered” by Weatherhill, local ranchers and curiosity seekers knew of its existence.
Quite a difference. Much debris from many years of neglect, but hey, the 1100’s was a long time ago. From the overlook, our group proceeded down into the canyon.
Jim is moving a bit slowly. He was in pain this morning from overdoing a things a bit yesterday, despite the meds.
Then up this small ladder and you are at the beginning of the tour.
Because the ancient Anasazi (the preferred word is now Puebloans) seemed to have abruptly vanished, Bill Slaughter, our guide, posed some questions to think about as we viewed the site: Who are the ancient Puebloans? Where did they go? What made them leave?
There is much scientific study about the ancient Puebloans. They speculate that because there are so many kivas at this site, those who decided to leave their nomadic way of life as hunters and gatherers and build cliff dwellings, supported a greater community of Puebloans in the surrounding Mesa Verde area. I believe he said the palace has 11 kivas. From local Native Americans who still use kivas for political and ritual uses, scientists speculate that the same was true of the ancients.
Other kivas we’ve seen could only be entered by a ladder through the roof. This advance in building skills allows the person to walk into the kiva through a “keyhole” entrance.
A three-story “apartment” house, and other buildings on site are so straight, scientists speculate they may have used a plumb bob to align their buildings. Small rocks with a hole drilled through them were found on site that could have served that purpose.
A crevice above the dwellings was used to store corn and beans to keep it from rodents and birds and weather.
The Puebloans built round as well as square buildings with great skill. Sandstone is a good, long-lasting building material when not subject to harsh storms. They could hand chisel rocks to fit. It had to be a major decision to give up their nomadic lifestyle and hunker into the cliff sides and build such protected houses. Most likely, for some protection from conflicts. There were probably 30 to 50 thousand Puebloans in the area. And while there is no sign of conflicts in the cliff dwellings, conflicts arouse over a diminishing source of food and game and other resources like wood in the greater area below the mesa in what is now Cortez and surrounding areas.
Examinations of bodies show a people somewhat protein deficient. All of the big animal bones were gone from the upper layers of the middens, no deer, elk or sheep bones. The Puebloans were living on small game, like rabbits and turkeys.
The cliff location provided protection and water. They dry farmed and depended on winter snow melt and summer rains to grow their corn. A 23 year drought may have driven them to take up their nomadic lifestyle once again. They didn’t just disappear,they moved.
There is plenty of evidence linking the ancients to the local Ute and Hopi tribes. This is their ancestral lands. Even some DNA evidence.
The climb out of the canyon is steep and about 180 feet up.
We, at least, had steps and handrails. The ancients made it up the cliffs barefoot. Their hand and toe holds could be seen carved into the rock at this spot.
The final three ladders are bolted into the cliff. If you go, the rangers give you excellent information about how strenuous each tour is. I didn’t find this a strenuous trip, despite the altitude of 7,500 feet. It is possible to do two tours, or even the three major dwellings in one day. The most challenging is Balcony House. Since Jim was in no shape to attempt a second tour we skipped it, but I told him he’d have to drag me back here to take it another year.
There is much more to do here if you can hike two to five miles. And there are longer hikes to see hidden dwellings and petroglyphs described by yesterday’s, guide, Pam Slaughter, as “very beautiful.” The museum is excellent. Don’t miss the 25 minute film. We drove the loop and looked at views of lesser dwellings on the way back to camp. Then we enjoyed watching the deer eat while we enjoyed our own supper.
I always take way to many photos, but if you’d like to see my album, click on the link: