Post by NatureNut on Sept 25, 2010 23:44:47 GMT -5
So many theories revolve around the mysterious disappearance of the Anasazi Indians from their cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. They range from mass illness wiping them out, to their migration out of the area because the climate had changed and the land failed to produce enough food, to ascending to a higher dimension that we just can't see.
They came here and found areas underneath sandstone cliffs that made perfect homes. They cut rock with stone into blocks and then made a mortar out of dirt and water and built them with wood beams to fit perfectly with the existing rock structure.
The Anasazi arrived around 1 AD and were gone by 1300 AD. They consisted mainly on crops and hunted deer and rabbit. dogs and turkeys were domesticated. They were very small, women were about 5 feet tall and men about 4 inches taller. They usually lived to their mid thirties. 50% of the children made it to their 5th birthday.
This is Cliff Palace, the largest of the sites. It has over 150 rooms and 23 kivas. Kivas are the circular walled pits in front of the dwellings. They began as pit houses that were covered by a roof before the Anasazi built the above ground houses.
It is believed that they were used as meeting rooms. Perhaps where the men slept or for spiritual purposes.
As rain and snowmelt water seeped through the ground and sandstone, it was naturally filtered for them. Ladders made of wood were used to get around. Water was collected from seepage springs.
To get rid of their trash, they threw it over the edge into the canyon. This helped archaeologists to learn the most about them. That was also where they buried their deceased with much love and ceremony.
The only entrance and exit for the dwellings was through a crack in the rocks that had steps and ladders. This helped the Anasazi to easily defend their rock homes.
There is a herd of 150 feral horses that run free through the park. They escaped from the nearby Ute Indian Reservation a while ago.
Angie saw them and barked at them.
Mesa Verde National Park has the best preserved dwellings in North America. Some can be seen freely with self-guided tours and many that can only be seen on a Ranger tour. They say to have plenty of water with you when you go.
Hope you enjoyed seeing it. It was such a total thrill for us! Thanks for looking. Jo
Here's the video!
They came here and found areas underneath sandstone cliffs that made perfect homes. They cut rock with stone into blocks and then made a mortar out of dirt and water and built them with wood beams to fit perfectly with the existing rock structure.
The Anasazi arrived around 1 AD and were gone by 1300 AD. They consisted mainly on crops and hunted deer and rabbit. dogs and turkeys were domesticated. They were very small, women were about 5 feet tall and men about 4 inches taller. They usually lived to their mid thirties. 50% of the children made it to their 5th birthday.
This is Cliff Palace, the largest of the sites. It has over 150 rooms and 23 kivas. Kivas are the circular walled pits in front of the dwellings. They began as pit houses that were covered by a roof before the Anasazi built the above ground houses.
It is believed that they were used as meeting rooms. Perhaps where the men slept or for spiritual purposes.
As rain and snowmelt water seeped through the ground and sandstone, it was naturally filtered for them. Ladders made of wood were used to get around. Water was collected from seepage springs.
To get rid of their trash, they threw it over the edge into the canyon. This helped archaeologists to learn the most about them. That was also where they buried their deceased with much love and ceremony.
The only entrance and exit for the dwellings was through a crack in the rocks that had steps and ladders. This helped the Anasazi to easily defend their rock homes.
There is a herd of 150 feral horses that run free through the park. They escaped from the nearby Ute Indian Reservation a while ago.
Angie saw them and barked at them.
Mesa Verde National Park has the best preserved dwellings in North America. Some can be seen freely with self-guided tours and many that can only be seen on a Ranger tour. They say to have plenty of water with you when you go.
Hope you enjoyed seeing it. It was such a total thrill for us! Thanks for looking. Jo
Here's the video!