Mesa Verde National Park, Part 2: Canyon Rim Dwellings and Spruce Tree House
There are over 600 archaeological sites within the park limits and though only a fraction of them are open to the public, I will not recount each of the dozen or so others I saw and instead just give you some highlights. The biggest highlight was another cliff dwelling, Spruce Tree House. Accessible from the canyon floor (requires a mile paved path down rather than ladders), the 130-room house is dated between 1211 – 1278 AD. This house contains a reconstructed kiva that visitors may enter the traditional way – by climbing a ladder through a hole in the middle of the roof.
Spruce Tree House from above, 1211 – 1278 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Spruce Tree House, ca. 1211 – 1278 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Inside of Spruce Tree House in shadow, 1211 – 1278 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Inside a kiva at Spruce Tree House, ca. 1211 – 1278 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
The other sites along the canyon rim reflect the full period of occupation at Mesa Verde, dating from simple pithouses constructed in 600 AD.
Pithouse and pueblo, ca. 700 – 950 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Successive villages built on top of one another, 600 – 1200 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Kiva, ca. 1075 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Tower kiva attached by tunnel to subterranean kiva, ca. 1200 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Coyote Villages, ca. 975 – 1250 AD, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Finally, it should not be left unsaid that the mesa itself has spectacular views of the surrounding valleys and distant mountains. It is beautiful country in southwestern Colorado.
View from atop mesa, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
So I picked a random post but would you be up for swapping emails?
Of course! I just sent you an email now. Let me know if you don’t see it!