The ancient U.S. town embedded in a cliff face
From ago 1,400 years agothe anasazis inhabited what are now the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico (United States). Many vestiges of this important culture still remain, as we can observe in the Mesa Verde National Park, in southwestern Colorado. Museums, old artifacts and a striking network of houses built under a cliff and embedded in the rock itself remind us of the passage of this people through the place.
Archaeological sites and desert landscape.
It is not difficult to imagine how the Anasazi lived in the territory that today encompasses Mesa Verde. This natural space seeks to preserve and make known this ancient culture, through museum exhibits y archaeological sitess very well preserved. All of this is combined with the beautiful and deserted landscapes of the place.
We can start our visit to Mesa Verde at the Anasazi Heritage Centrewhere we can get all the necessary information on how to discover this fascinating place. On the other hand, it is also advisable to visit the Chapin Mesa Archaeological MuseumThe museum offers the opportunity to immerse ourselves in all the details of this ancient Amerindian culture that inhabited the area for more than 700 years. The center exhibits all kinds of utensils, as well as dioramas.
The breathtaking Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde National Park is a true open-air museum. It contains more than 4,000 archaeological sites, such as houses, villages, shrines and towers.which are some of the best preserved in the entire United States. Such an impressive array of structures and artifacts are so well preserved because of the isolation of the site.
The crown jewel of the park is the one known as. Cliff Palacea village built under a cliff, built into the rock face with sandstone, mortar and wooden beams. This structure had 150 rooms individual and more than 20 kivas, i.e., rooms for religious rituals. In addition, recent studies have revealed that the site had a population of some 100 people and that it was a social and administrative place with an important ceremonial use.
The Cliff Palace is one of the stops on the Mesa Top Loop routea 10-kilometer route that takes us to the most important points of the park. In this way, we can also visit the Petroglyph Trail Point. to see the engravings on the rocks and the Point of View to the Sunwhere you can enjoy unbeatable views of the canyon.
Sign up for the newsletter and receive in your inbox the best proposals to travel around the world.
