Mesa Verde National Park: Find that Ancient Pueblo! — To whoever is not listening to the sea

A little bit of history

The Civilian Conservation Corps, part of the New Deal, worked in Mesa Verde from 1936 to 1942.  They quarried rock and built many of the modern structures in the park. — The Civilian Conservation Corps, part of the New Deal, worked in Mesa Verde from 1936 to 1942. They quarried rock and built many of the modern structures in the park.

Mesa Verde National Park became such in 1906. In that year, it had just 27 visitors. It was unique as a National Park at that time, as its focus is on preserving not natural beauty, but the manmade and cultural history of the Ancient Pueblo people. From 600-1300 AD, the site was home to the ancestors of tribes such as the Hopi, and Zuni. Today about 500,000 + visit to see their handy work each year.

This is also the park of ticketed tours! You can enter many of cliff dwellings, but need a ticket to do so. Arrive early to get them! Or better yet, plan ahead. We opted for special tours of two sites which we had to book a few months in advance — a twilight photography tour of the Cliff Palace and a tour of Mug House. The Mug House tour is one of several that is only done for a few months, every three years. Pretty cool!

Below are some highlights of our various visits to the Park.

Let's play, find that ancient pueblo.

You have to drive about 20-30 miles into the park before you get to any of the cliff dwellings. Even if you don't have tickets, its worth the drive, because there are a few cliff dwellings that offer self-guided tours and several driving loops with lookouts. The Mesa Loop offers some spectacular views up and down the canyon...with dwelling all over the cliffs. It was a happening place 800 years ago! (There are over 600 dwellings in the park currently — and many, many more outside it's boundaries.)

Although many areas of the park are forested, there is a long history of fire in the park. There are signs all over the park, noting the different fires that damaged the area, dating back to the 1930s.  Hence the dead trees on the mesa. Di… — Although many areas of the park are forested, there is a long history of fire in the park. There are signs all over the park, noting the different fires that damaged the area, dating back to the 1930s. Hence the dead trees on the mesa. Did you spot the cliff dwelling?

Here is a closer look.  (Mesa Loop) — Here is a closer look. (Mesa Loop)

Cliff Palace from the Sun Point Overlook, Mesa Loop.  Cliff Palace largest cliff dwelling (by room count) in the United States. — Cliff Palace from the Sun Point Overlook, Mesa Loop. Cliff Palace largest cliff dwelling (by room count) in the United States.

Sun Temple.  This large structure was not in a cliff, but on the mesa top.  It was believed to be used for ceremonial purposes, and was left unfinished. — Sun Temple. This large structure was not in a cliff, but on the mesa top. It was believed to be used for ceremonial purposes, and was left unfinished.

House of Many Windows, Cliff Palace Loop

Cliff Palace — Photography Tour

Our tour of the Cliff Palace, the largest ancient pueblo in the US at 150 rooms, was led by Park Ranger, photographer, and member of the Lakota nation, David Nighteagle. What a treat! Not only were there only 12 people on the tour — the regular tours top out at 50-60 — but we were permitted to walk around the pueblo independently to take photos. (We still had to follow the rules — no touching!)

It was also an unexpected, but most welcome honor, to have David play his flute (which he made) during the tour, to ask the ancestors in the pueblo for permission to enter and thank them for allowing us to visit at the end of the tour.

This photo reflects how the dwelling was built on top of a large boulder.  It also shows original plaster — look for the areas on the brick that are redish in hue.  That's 800 year old plaster! — This photo reflects how the dwelling was built on top of a large boulder. It also shows original plaster — look for the areas on the brick that are redish in hue. That's 800 year old plaster!

In the foreground of this photo you can see a kiva — a religious, ceremonial space — in the foreground. There are three kivas in this part of pueblo. — In the foreground of this photo you can see a kiva — a religious, ceremonial space — in the foreground. There are three kivas in this part of pueblo.

The park service does not reconstruct the pueblos (but did excavate them, and does restore them.)  They are fairly similar to when they were originally excavated — as such there are a number of partial structures in the dwelling. — The park service does not reconstruct the pueblos (but did excavate them, and does restore them.) They are fairly similar to when they were originally excavated — as such there are a number of partial structures in the dwelling.

Mug House

Ranger Lindsey George, Archeologist and resident dude (our description, not meant to be derogatory).

Mug House is a pueblo, located in the Weatherhill Mesa area of the park, which is less visited than the Mesa Chapin area where Cliff Palace is located. This area was originally explored and excavated by the Weatherhill family, local ranchers, aided by Ute guides, and Baron Gustaf E. A. Nordenskiöld. Nordenskiold was an scientists from Sweden, who came to the area to recover from tuberculosis. He left for home with a collection of 600 items from the area, which was part of the inspiration for the 1906 Antiquities Act. This act made it illegal to take artifacts from public lands. (The artifacts are now in a museum in Finland, in the 19th century Sweden didn't have a museum that could house them, but Finland did.)

Our first rattle snake siting happened on this tour.  Look closely, I think it's sticking its tongue out! — Our first rattle snake siting happened on this tour. Look closely, I think it's sticking its tongue out!

To get to Mug House, you pass through an alcove that was inhabited about 200 years prior to Mug House. The folks who built Mug House used a lot of the stone from this previous dwelling— recycling. When you have to quarry rock and cut down trees using stone tools, you reuse as much as possible I imagine.

What you can see now is the miden (trash pile) with lots of pottery shards and some pictographs. (FYI — Pictographs are painted, petroglyphs are carved).

A midden near Mug House, and the site of a dwelling that preceded Mug House by about 200 years. You can see the pictograph along the back wall. The black coloring on the walls above it is evidence of the fires that were used in the dwelling.

Mug House was populated by about 60 people. It was separated into different units for different families. They left the area in around 1300, likely at least partly due to a drought in the area, which made cultivating enough food for inhabitants difficult. (They know they was a drought in the area from the trees.)

The wooden beams are Utah Pinon Pines, where are particularly hardy. These are 800+ years old.  Look closely under the far right beam, you'll see some sticks.  The archeologists below those were used as handholds, when moving about the pue… — The wooden beams are Utah Pinon Pines, where are particularly hardy. These are 800+ years old. Look closely under the far right beam, you'll see some sticks. The archeologists below those were used as handholds, when moving about the pueblo.

Inside of a kiva, a ceremonial space.  The red, white and tan coloring is original plaster.  The whole building would have been covered in such plaster at the time it was inhabited. — Inside of a kiva, a ceremonial space. The red, white and tan coloring is original plaster. The whole building would have been covered in such plaster at the time it was inhabited.

Life expectancy for these pueblo people was about 30-35 years. When they did study human remains, they found their teeth were incredibly worn down. They ground their corn with stone, and therefore, ingested and ate a great deal of stone. The archeologists feel this is one of the reasons they had rather short lifespans.

Archeologists here and elsewhere no longer study native, human remains. The 1992 Native Graves Protection and Repatriation act ensured these peoples are no longer treated as scientific specimens, but people, with families, who deserve the respect I'm sure we would all wish for our own ancestors.

The "kitchen", where corn was ground.  Note also the boulder in the back, that was incorporated into the pueblo. These people beat Frank Lloyd Wright to the punch! — The "kitchen", where corn was ground. Note also the boulder in the back, that was incorporated into the pueblo. These people beat Frank Lloyd Wright to the punch!

Mug house from another vantage point.  If you look at the far left, you can see small windows, which are actually the doors to the building.  The stone panels are the doors. — Mug house from another vantage point. If you look at the far left, you can see small windows, which are actually the doors to the building. The stone panels are the doors.