Mesa Verde presents the largest archeological site in the United States, with over 4000 smaller sites dating from 600 to 1300 AD. Its inhabitants were the Ancestral Puebloans – the Anasazi who built their houses in the shallow caves.
The caves were not discovered till almost the end of the 19th century, and were ruthlessly looted before proclaimed a national park in 1906.
The Anasazi history is thoroughly presented through The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, with lots of artwork and findings. The sites like the Spruce Tree House, Balcony House and the Cliff Palace are open to public. While there you definitely have to visit the Far View Complex, Cedar Tree Tower and the Sun Temple.
Adjacent to the Mesa Verde is the Ute Mountain Tribal Park which includes similar cliff dwellings, paintings and petroglyphs.
Among the United States’ newest national monuments is the Canyons o the Ancients which is a 660sq-km (256sq-mi) area with thousands of archeological sites including remains of villages including Lowry Pueblo – a 12th century village believed to have housed up to 100 people. It still has standing walls of about 40 different rooms and ceremonial chambers (kivas), featuring the remains of a great kiva – 16m (54ft) in diameter, which is among the largest ever found.
The other findings, sites, sweat lodges and petroglyphs in the Canyons of the Ancients range from 700 to 10000 years old.
WHERE IS IT
United States of America – Colorado. The entrance to the park is on US 160, 16km (10mi) east of Cortez.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
The only national park entirely devoted to the works of humans
WHAT IS IT
It is the largest archeological site in the United States. Mesa Verde means “green table” in Spanish, named after that tree-covered flat geological area.
