Aptly named Cliff Palace, this cliff dwelling is the largest in
the United States and is the one most often seen in magazines and
tourist brochures about ancient ruins.
It is the only major cliff dwelling in the park that can be seen from
an overlook. I was disappointed in my pictures of the Weatherhill Long
House, but here you can see the dwellings from a distance and get an
idea of what the whole settlement looks like in two photos.
The tour starts on the left and moves off to the right.
A tighter shot also taken from the overlook. Notice the tower in this
photo and a comparison of what the site looked like when it was first
photographed by a Swedish Scholar, Gustaf Nordenskiold, in 1891. He was
the first to scientifically study the site though it was officially
“discovered” by Weatherhill, local ranchers and curiosity seekers knew
of its existence.
Quite a difference. Much debris from many years of neglect, but hey,
the 1100′s was a long time ago. From the overlook, our group proceeded
down into the canyon.
Jim is moving a bit slowly. He was in pain this morning from overdoing a things a bit yesterday, despite the meds.
Then up this small ladder and you are at the beginning of the tour.
Because the ancient Anasazi (the preferred word is now Puebloans)
seemed to have abruptly vanished, Bill Slaughter, our guide, posed
some questions to think about as we viewed the site: Who are the
ancient Puebloans? Where did they go? What made them leave?
There is much scientific study about the ancient Puebloans. They
speculate that because there are so many kivas at this site, those who
decided to leave their nomadic way of life as hunters and gatherers and
build cliff dwellings, supported a greater community of Puebloans in the
surrounding Mesa Verde area. I believe he said the palace has 11
kivas. From local Native Americans who still use kivas for political
and ritual uses, scientists speculate that the same was true of the
ancients.
Other kivas we’ve seen could only be entered by a ladder through the
roof. This advance in building skills allows the person to walk into the
kiva through a “keyhole” entrance.
A three-story “apartment” house, and other buildings on site are so
straight, scientists speculate they may have used a plumb bob to align
their buildings. Small rocks with a hole drilled through them were
found on site that could have served that purpose.
A crevice above the dwellings was used to store corn and beans to keep it from rodents and birds and weather.
The Puebloans built round as well as square buildings with great
skill. Sandstone is a good, long-lasting building material when not
subject to harsh storms. They could hand chisel rocks to fit. It had to
be a major decision to give up their nomadic lifestyle and hunker into
the cliff sides and build such protected houses. Most likely, for some
protection from conflicts. There were probably 30 to 50 thousand
Puebloans in the area. And while there is no sign of conflicts in the
cliff dwellings, conflicts arouse over a diminishing source of food and
game and other resources like wood in the greater area below the mesa
in what is now Cortez and surrounding areas.
Examinations of bodies show a people somewhat protein deficient. All
of the big animal bones were gone from the upper layers of the middens,
no deer, elk or sheep bones. The Puebloans were living on small game,
like rabbits and turkeys.
The cliff location provided protection and water. They dry farmed and
depended on winter snow melt and summer rains to grow their corn. A 23
year drought may have driven them to take up their nomadic lifestyle
once again. They didn’t just disappear,they moved.
There is plenty of evidence linking the ancients to the local Ute and
Hopi tribes. This is their ancestral lands. Even some DNA evidence.
The climb out of the canyon is steep and about 180 feet up.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rock climbing aspects of squeezing through
tight spots and between gigantic boulders, but Jim was getting a workout
he didn’t need at that point.
We, at least, had steps and handrails. The ancients made it up the
cliffs barefoot. Their hand and toe holds could be seen carved into the
rock at this spot.
.
The final three ladders are bolted into the cliff. If you go, the
rangers give you excellent information about how strenuous each tour is.
I didn’t find this a strenuous trip, despite the altitude of 7,500
feet. It is possible to do two tours, or even the three major dwellings
in one day. The most challenging is Balcony House. Since Jim was in no
shape to attempt a second tour we skipped it, but I told him he’d have
to drag me back here to take it another year.
There is much more to do here if you can hike two to five miles. And
there are longer hikes to see hidden dwellings and petroglyphs
described by yesterday’s, guide, Pam Slaughter, as “very beautiful.”
The museum is excellent. Don’t miss the 25 minute film. We drove the
loop and looked at views of lesser dwellings on the way back to camp.
Then we enjoyed watching the deer eat while we enjoyed our own supper.
I always take way to many photos, but if you’d like to see my album, click on the link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/2012610MsaVrdeClifPalace?authkey=Gv1sRgCK7e2-XDmLeBKA#
