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Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings: Just what are these things?

The main attraction of Mesa Verde National Park is the presence of ancient homes and religious kivas built high on the side of local cliffs.

Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde

The cliff houses at Mesa Verde have been around since nearly 1200 AD. The reason for building homes on the cliffs in not completely known. Perhaps the residents were looking for a place of safety against other groups of native or unwanted animals. Perhaps they were looking for a way to maximize their available land for agriculture and decided to live inside the cliffs, areas that would not be productive farmland. Perhaps the natives who built these structures were looking for the physical stability that cliff structures provided for grain storage and homes. It has also been suggested that the cliff houses might have been built due to religious motives.

While we don’t know for sure why the natives chose to live this way, we do know that for the 100 or so years that the natives lived there their homes proved to be remarkably tolerant to erosion and weather. Many areas are believed to have sheltered and provided for up to 300 people, including the Cliff Palace and the Spruce Tree House.

We recommend that you take some time to visit some of these structures during your trip to Mesa Verde National Park. Check in at the visitors center to find out what tours are available and purchase inexpensive tickets there.

We hope you enjoy your Mesa Verde adventure.