Mesa Verde!

What better way to spend the Thanksgiving holiday than visiting an amazing site of America's Native Peoples. I have dreamed of going to Mesa Verde since I was a child, given my long infatuation and respect for Native American cultures, archaeology and the building trades. I'm not sure why I didn't make it here sooner, but no matter, I made it there this weekend, and it was incredible!

I was lucky enough to have my good friends Amy and Casino join on this trip. While I was busy looking around and pondering the amazing craftsmanship, they were actually listening to the tour guide and could thus pass on the answers to my questions that I could have heard had I only listened.



If you've never been to Mesa Verde, it is truly an amazing place to witness. Located in the Four Corners region in Colorado, it is a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was created in 1906 to protect the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi, or Puebloan people. These cliff dwellings are mind boggling. Before going there, I hadn't realized that these sites were literally carved into the sides of cliffs. I love to rock climb, but I wouldn't dare climb into these dwellings without a rope and harness. If the people that lived here came to a modern rock climbing competition today, they would blow away all the competition with one hand behind their back, laughing all the way while not wearing shoes. This stuff is insane. You see this picture below, right in the middle there, that big crack between the massive boulders, look really closely and you can see some dwellings. Now imagine how they must have gotten there! Plus, they had to leave to hunt, gather water and food and other resources every day- then haul it all back up there! And to think that we complain when we drive to the mall and have to park 100 feet away from the door!!



This incredible architecture was built out of the surrounding stone and mud in the canyon area. Though the Puebloans lived here for centuries, these cliff dwellings were only built and occupied between the 12th and 13th centuries. It's not exactly understood why they left here when they did.

The homes were located in shallow caves and under rock overhangs along the canyon walls. Similar to our masonry buildings today, they were made of blocks of hard sandstone, held together and plastered with adobe mortar. They also carved hand and toe holds into the rock for climbing. Makes me feel pretty ridiculous in my $100 climbing shoes, harness and chalk bag! What is even more amazing is how well preserved these structures are. Of course a lot of this has been restored, but to think that the basic structures of these homes are still standing, thousands of years later, is astounding. Can we say that about the buildings we're creating today with all of our knowledge and technology??



Perhaps we need to put down the engineering books and learn a few things from these amazing peoples. Besides the architecture, there a lot to learn about their lifestyle- from the ceremonial kivas, to the basket weaving, lineage traditions, and basic mores, they're fascinating- yet beyond the scope of this blog.

If you want to learn more about this amazing place, I strongly recommend a trip to Mesa Verde. There is so much to learn and so much to see. We just got a brief taste of all the park has to offer. An extended camping and hiking trip would be even better. One thing is guaranteed, you will be amazed, and have an excellent time!