We arrived at Mesa Verde in Colorado with enough time to check out the visitor center and bookstore and set up camp. We cooked a delicious pasta dinner and ran out of daylight before the meal was finished. But no worries we had a candle light dinner. And by candle light I mean citronella light – how fancy. Aside from the small child who screamed all night it was a pretty pleasant night. There is a lot of driving in this park. The road to get to the campground is 6 miles and the road to the cliff dwellings was an additional 15 miles. At the trail head to the cliff dwellings 
there was a museum. Usually at these parks the museums are pretty weak. This one is actually worth while. We made it just in time to watch a free video explaining the lifestyle of the cliff dwellers and how they evolved from nomadic people to building intricate cities in and around rock faces. I am glad that we watched this and walked through the rest of the museum because it offered an insight into the people who lived there and rather than just walking through and s
eeing stones I was able to see a lifestyle. The park was much more personable because of this. In the museum there were artifacts found on site and similar ones from tribes that were thought to be decendants of the cliff dwellers. The museum touched on key factors that changed the natives lives such as; basket weaving, pottery, crops. It was easy to imagine people living here afterwards. These people were thought to be a peacefull open society. To reach the actual cliffs we walked down a steep but paved walkway. There was a crowd here as well but I suppose at these places that can’t be helped. It is worth seeing so that is why a bunch of people come here to see it. The dwellings themselves were quite awe inspiring. They were so well preserved it looked more like a movie set than an actual early culture dwelling. There were multiple rooms dividing work, cere
monial and living areas. They were layered up to four stories in some places. It would have been really incredible to have stumbled across these by surprise. The main ceremonial rooms were mostly underground and circular while the living areas were mostly above ground hugging the underside of the cliff overhang. The pictures do not do the size of these dwellings justice. Due to the Angle and where we had to stand away from the ruins Brad looks like a giant in the picture. It's pretty funny looking though. I couldn’t help but thinking these ancient people were smarter in some regards than we as a people have been. Our buildings although comfortable (which is nice) are not always functional. The material they used help to cool in the summer and keep warm in the winter. There were cleverly placed holes and shafts to allow the right ventalation. The cliffs they chose offered shade in hot summer months and facing south shielded them from the harsh winter winds. Not that we should go live in mud huts without electr
icity but maybe we should build with a greater awareness of our surroundings. Use the land for the good it can do instead of trying to control it. More energy would probably be saved this way. I think the future of building will have to look at some past examples in order to move forward. Overall these ancient buildings were pretty impressive, at least Brad and I were impressed.
there was a museum. Usually at these parks the museums are pretty weak. This one is actually worth while. We made it just in time to watch a free video explaining the lifestyle of the cliff dwellers and how they evolved from nomadic people to building intricate cities in and around rock faces. I am glad that we watched this and walked through the rest of the museum because it offered an insight into the people who lived there and rather than just walking through and s
eeing stones I was able to see a lifestyle. The park was much more personable because of this. In the museum there were artifacts found on site and similar ones from tribes that were thought to be decendants of the cliff dwellers. The museum touched on key factors that changed the natives lives such as; basket weaving, pottery, crops. It was easy to imagine people living here afterwards. These people were thought to be a peacefull open society. To reach the actual cliffs we walked down a steep but paved walkway. There was a crowd here as well but I suppose at these places that can’t be helped. It is worth seeing so that is why a bunch of people come here to see it. The dwellings themselves were quite awe inspiring. They were so well preserved it looked more like a movie set than an actual early culture dwelling. There were multiple rooms dividing work, cere
monial and living areas. They were layered up to four stories in some places. It would have been really incredible to have stumbled across these by surprise. The main ceremonial rooms were mostly underground and circular while the living areas were mostly above ground hugging the underside of the cliff overhang. The pictures do not do the size of these dwellings justice. Due to the Angle and where we had to stand away from the ruins Brad looks like a giant in the picture. It's pretty funny looking though. I couldn’t help but thinking these ancient people were smarter in some regards than we as a people have been. Our buildings although comfortable (which is nice) are not always functional. The material they used help to cool in the summer and keep warm in the winter. There were cleverly placed holes and shafts to allow the right ventalation. The cliffs they chose offered shade in hot summer months and facing south shielded them from the harsh winter winds. Not that we should go live in mud huts without electr
icity but maybe we should build with a greater awareness of our surroundings. Use the land for the good it can do instead of trying to control it. More energy would probably be saved this way. I think the future of building will have to look at some past examples in order to move forward. Overall these ancient buildings were pretty impressive, at least Brad and I were impressed. 
1 comment:
Thanks for the pictures. You really are doing a good job pacing yourselves. Have a good 4th of July out there.
jeanthebean
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