Mesa Verde - a park of ancient rock dwellings

For anyone familiar with the Spanish language, it will not be difficult to translate the expression “mesa verde” as “green table”. But it's still a literal translation. In fact, this refers to the “green plateau” - this is how the Spaniards in the 18th century called the vast highlands on the territory of the modern state of Colorado, discovered during the search for an overland route to Pacific Ocean. As you know, the southwestern United States is famous for its red-orange hues in the landscape, so it is not surprising that the green coniferous forest that suddenly appeared before the eyes of Europeans immediately attracted attention.

Although in our case, it would be more correct to call the place “mesa blanca” (“white plateau”), since everything around was covered with fresh Christmas snow. At the entrance to the park they paid $10, and having received, as usual, a map of the area (there was already a collection, however!), slowly crawled into the mountains on a trailer, strongly swaying under the gusts of side wind.

For the sake of Mesa Verde, we made a small detour, leaving the New Mexico route, and all in order to look at the unusual, “rocky” housing of the ancient Indians. Cities in the rock were discovered in the 19th century by local cowboys, while searching for stray cows. Exploring the territory for several months, they found a total of 182 settlements in the rocks. Cowboys sold the found household items to museums and private collectors.

Despite extensive excavations, scientists have not been able to learn much about the people who lived in these cities. It is known that they settled here in the 6th century, and lived and lived for 700 years, after which they suddenly left the territory (presumably due to drought). Archaeologists have named the people "Anasazi", which in the Navajo language means "ancestors".

The Anasazi were stuck in the Stone Age, metal was unfamiliar to them. In the summer, they lit a fire only for cooking, and in the winter the fires burned around the clock. Until now, the walls and ceilings covered with soot are reminiscent of the cold weather in which people lived for half a year.

Everything unnecessary - leftovers, cast-offs, junk - was simply thrown out of the windows onto the slopes of the rocks. Gradually, an abundant cultural layer accumulated at the bottom of the canyon, from which, basically, the richest archaeological collection of the local museum was collected. So to say, “one person’s trash is another treasure” is a saying in action. The next time you throw away holey socks, imagine that in 500 years they can show off under glass in a place of honor in the collection of some enthusiast-researcher of the “ancient” 21st century :)

The Anasazi left no written evidence of their stay, so ideas about their way of life are compared with similar settlements of the same time. Niches in the rocks gave protection from the weather: in summer it was cool there, and in winter it was not as cold as on the highlands open to all winds. On wooden stairs hanging over the abyss, the Indians got out of the houses on the plateau, to the gardens and corn fields.

The inhabitants did their homework mainly on the street, in small courtyards enclosed by a stone wall adjoining the rooms. Women wove baskets and sandals, spun, sewed patterned blankets, and made pottery. In earthenware jugs, corn, beans, smoked meat, berries, nuts, acorns and dried flowers were harvested for the winter, which served as spices. And men made various tools from stone and bone - knives, axes, awls, scrapers. Hunters beat deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, whose skins, feathers and fur were used for winter clothes.

But this is, so to speak, the “old”, initial version. According to modern ideas, based on more detailed excavations, it is believed that the Indians lived on the plateau itself in dugouts, and in niches under the rocks they had food stores and round ceremonial buildings (kivas) for religious rites.
The walls of Anasazi buildings were made from local gray-yellow sandstone, from which blocks the size of modern bricks were cut, after which they were fastened with clay soaked in water.

On this moment, many “rock palaces” can only be admired from afar, from the opposite edge of the canyon. But there are also those where it is allowed to go down with a guide or even on your own. And if in the peak season you have to sign up for a hike with a guide ahead of time, then in December there were no problems with places in the group, and we were happy to walk to the “Spruce tree house” in the company of a cheerful and knowledgeable ranger.

The interior of the reconstructed kiva.

At the top of a vast highland in the 18th century, the Spaniards, wandering through North America in search of an overland trade route, discovered a vast forest. On a lifeless background mountain ranges abundant vegetation seemed a real miracle. They named this area "Messa Verde", which means "green table" or "green plateau".

A nice bonus only for our readers - a discount coupon when paying for tours on the site until March 31:

• AF500guruturizma - promo code for 500 rubles for tours from 40,000 rubles
• AFT1500guruturizma - promo code for tours to Thailand from 80,000 rubles

Until March 10, the promotional code AF2000TUITRV is valid, which gives a discount of 2,000 rubles on tours to Jordan and Israel from 100,000 rubles. from tour operator TUI. Check-in dates until 05/05/2019.

Settlers from Europe began to populate the beautiful "oasis" only by the end of the 19th century. The local places were well suited for grazing, despite the abundance of canyons. This is what cowboy Richard Weatherill did. On December 18, 1888, while looking for a lost cow, he stumbled upon an extraordinary sight. A real fortress with towers could be seen on the stones; because of the blizzard, it seemed to float in the air. Struck by what he saw, the cowboy returned there after the bad weather. What he found there surprised even more.

A multi-storey stone building could be seen right in the rock. Numerous windows blackened the yellow walls. Nearby, in a huge niche, there were more buildings. To get to unusual structures, Richard and his brothers had to build a ladder. Later they whole year explored the entire district, and found about 180 more similar abandoned villages.

Weatherill and his brothers called the inhabitants of these buildings "Anasazi". In the language of the Navajo Indians who lived next door, this word means "ancestors." Later it turned out that the descendants of these people were the Pueblo peoples: Hopi, Taos, Akoma, Zuni ... In their language, "anasazi" means "enemy" or "conqueror". Therefore, in our time, those ancient inhabitants of Mesa Verde are called the "Ancient Pueblos", since, judging by the studies of the settlements, they were extremely peaceful.

Mesa Verde rock dwellings

This was written in detail in the scientific work of 1893 by the Swedish researcher of antiquity Gustav Nordenskiöld "The Rock Dwellings of Mesa Verde". So the whole world learned about the abandoned cities located in the southeast of Colorado. But it also led to trouble. "Black archaeologists" plundered most artifacts, destroyed several buildings. In 1906, the state took under protection this historical monument. Mesa Verde has now become a national park in which it is forbidden to change anything or carry out any work.

According to researchers, the first people in these places appeared in the 5th century. They hunted, were engaged in gathering, dugouts covered with tree branches served as dwellings for them. By the 7th century, they were increasingly sedentary, mastered agriculture, and began to comprehend the basics of construction. Houses were built in natural rock niches with big amount rooms. Such a dwelling hid them from the weather. In summer it is not so hot, in winter there is protection from the wind. They fastened small blocks of sandstone and wooden beams with clay, erected walls where possible, filling the niche. Many of the walls are plastered and decorated with ornaments.

The period of 11-13 centuries is considered to be the heyday of this civilization. The population already numbered about five thousand people. Beans, corn were grown on the plateau, nuts and berries were harvested. The hunters supplied their people with meat. The local forests abounded with game, and in the depths of the canyon you can always find water. Heavy, in our modern view, was only the road home.

The recesses in the rocks are in sufficient hard-to-reach places. To get to them both from above and from below, additional devices are needed. In addition to holes in the rock for arms and legs, the Indians weaved stairs from yucca, made tunnels in stone.

rock palace

All housework was done outside. The rooms are very small, although with an average height of people then 155cm, quite suitable for habitation. Spacious halls for religious ceremonies, called "kivs", storage rooms, all this is ancient cities ancestral pueblo.

The largest and most striking building, the Rock Palace, has 150 rooms and 75 courtyards. The "house with a balcony" also accommodated many residents, but it was also very difficult to access. To get to it, you need to overcome a ten-meter staircase, a narrow tunnel, and stone steps. Now, not all of the local buildings are available for inspection by tourists due to the fact that it is very difficult to get to them, in some places even dangerous. Therefore, tours of historical buildings are conducted by special rangers.

Viewing platforms for tourists

Basically, travelers admire the view of the ancient rock cities from viewing platforms located opposite. From here a stunning landscape opens up. In the middle of the cliff, the old apartment buildings look like toys. It is striking that these buildings were erected by people who did not know metal, all their tools were wooden, bone, stone ...
Why they left these places, scientists do not know for sure. The generally accepted version is a drought that lasted more than twenty years, although some suggest that these tribes were attacked by invaders, although there is no exact evidence for this.

The park has been listed since 1978 world heritage UNESCO.

An overview guide to Mesa Verde National Park. Answers to questions about what to see, where to live, how to get there, how much it costs, what the weather is, etc. The map is attached.

general information

Park name:national park Mesa Verde national park)

State: Colorado, USA

Distances from Mesa Verde (Visitor Center):

• Las Vegas - 555 miles / 888 km (9 hours) - via the Grand Canyon
• Grand Canyon ( South part) - 280 miles / 448 km (5 hours)
• Page - 226 miles / 362 km (3 hours 40 minutes)
• Monument Valley - 138 miles / 221 km (2 hours 40 minutes)
• Gooseneck Park - 112 miles / 179 km (2 hours 10 minutes)
• Cortes - 11 miles / 17 km (15 minutes)
• Durango - 36 miles / 58 km (40 minutes)
• Moab - 125 miles / 200 km (2 hours 5 minutes)
• Arches Park - 130 miles / 209 km (2 hours 15 minutes) - to Visitor Center

Short description: Mesa Verde is a park famous for its rocky houses and more primitive ancient dwellings - the ruins of the settlements of the Indians who once lived here. The buildings date back to 600-1300. In the park you will see the best preserved specimens.

Mesa Verde will delight fans of panoramic views, although some may find them not too picturesque.

Schedule: The park welcomes guests every day throughout the year.

Visit cost:

• car ticket and all passengers - $15 (from May 23 to September 1) and $10 (from September 2 to December 31 and from January 2 to May 22). The ticket is valid for 7 days.
• individual ticket(for those who came to the park by bus as part of a non-profit group, bicycle, motorcycle, or came on foot) - $ 8 (from May 23 to September 1) and $ 5 (from September 2 to December 31 and from January 2 to September 22 May). The ticket is valid for 7 days.
• Mesa Verde Pass/ Mesa Verde Annual Pass (subscription) - $ 30 (valid for a year from the date of purchase, applies only to visiting this park);
• General annual pass/Annual Pass (subscription) - $ 80 (valid for a year and applies to all parks included in the national park system).

By purchasing an Annual Pass/Park Pass, you can visit any National parks USA within one year from the date of purchase. This subscription is beneficial to purchase if you plan to visit more than 4-5 parks.

Park size: The Mesa Verde Park itself is quite large, but the part that is in the field of view of tourists is not so extensive. You can drive through the entire park in a few hours.

There are several conditional parts:

• Part of the road from Visitor Center to Far View Area (North Rim)
  Several observation platforms are scattered along this segment, which are examined in the direction of travel.
• Wetherill Mesa Road
  Driving along this road, you can also see several view points, and at the end visit Step House and Long House - rock houses.
• Chapin Mesa Road
  This road leads to archaeological museum and the rock dwelling Spruce Tree House. Several hiking trails also start here.
• Mesa Top Loop
  Ring road passing by different types dwellings, allowing to trace the development of local ancient settlers.
• Cliff Palace Loop
  Road leading to the rock dwellings of Cliff House and Balcony House.

Details of attractions in

Javascript is required to view this map

Among the most significant attractions not only, but throughout America, it is worth highlighting Mesa Verde National Park(Mesa Verde National Park), which deservedly entered the honorary list of UNESCO heritage. The park, which today occupies 211 km of area, was founded on June 29, 1906 in the state of Colorado. Mesa Verde literally translates from Spanish as "Green Table", the name of the park was due to the huge plateau located nearby. The park was created to preserve the ruined traces of the settlement of the Anasazi Indians, who lived here more than eight hundred years ago, and to pass on their knowledge to generations. Almost a million tourists visit the park every year!

The Anasazi Indians settled here about one and a half thousand years ago. Over time, from the most ordinary dugouts, their settlement turned into a real one. stone city on rocky slopes. The Indians had to leave their homes and lands where they had lived for more than seven hundred years due to a severe and very long drought.
The next time the foot of the layman was here only in the eighteenth century, when the Spaniards from Santa Fe were looking for an overland way to get to California. First of all, tired from the journey through the desert lands, the expedition noticed a large hill, completely covered with coniferous juniper and pine trees. This green hill was close to ancient city green plateau, which became an excellent reference point for travelers, and was immediately put on the map.

Several years passed, and at the end of the nineteenth century, the first cattle breeders came to the established trade route. On December 18, 1888, a terrible blizzard broke out and several cows disappeared from Richard Weatherill's herd. It was for them that he went to pastures and nearby lands. Richard galloped along the canyon, hoping to find his missing cattle, until he saw that there was an entire city on the other side of it. The blizzard subsided the next morning, and the miracle hovering in the air turned out to be an abandoned fortress in the rock. After gathering a few more men, Richard sets out to survey unfamiliar territories. Somewhat later, they found another 182 similar to the first fortress. It was difficult to judge who the Indians who built the city at that time were, presumably they were from Navajos who settled nearby. The name "Anasazi", which means "ancestors" in the Navajo language, was given by Weatherill.

In the late 1880s, Mesa Verde sparked the interest of many bounty hunters. The log roof was broken, the walls were broken, many artifacts were stolen. It was after this event locals demanded the protection of valuable cultural monuments.

Initially, the houses of the Indians were located on the top of the plateau. They were the most ordinary dugouts. A little later, when the Indians finally settled in these places, their houses turned into rock niches with several rooms (pueblo). Wooden ladders were needed so that the Indians could get out of the sheer cliffs of the canyons, where their dwellings were located, to the top of the plateau, where there were sown fields. Small depressions in the rocks were intended for hands and feet when the inhabitants descended to the bottom of the canyon to the rivers. To date, the ancient residential area of ​​pre-Columbian America, Mesa Verde, is the largest not only for, but for the entire New World!

IN residential area there are enough interesting exhibits, ceramics are especially valued because of their rarity. Artfully woven baskets are also admired, because of which the Anasazi tribe is sometimes called "basketmakers". Most of the exhibits are collected on the slopes of the rocks, where the Indians threw everything they didn't need. Their architecture was not so deeply developed as to plan the arrangement of rooms in detail. The settlers simply climbed into the natural niches of the canyons, and then built walls from sandstone and soaked clay.

In the XVIII century, the Spaniards stubbornly searched for land trade route across the North American continent to the Pacific Ocean, to California. From the city of Santa Fe, located in New Spain, the expeditions gradually moved further and further through the desert mountainous areas. Once, on a monotonous red-yellow background, travelers from a distance noticed a dark spot, which turned out to be coniferous forest on top of a vast upland, - an excellent reference point for caravans. It was then that the name Mesa Verde appeared on the maps, which in Spanish means "green plateau". Europeans began to build permanent settlements in this area of ​​the Wild West only towards the end of the 19th century. And so, on a cold blizzard day on December 18, 1888, cowboy Richard Weatherill traveled around Mesa Verde in search of cows that had strayed from the herd, but instead he saw them on the other side of the canyon, right on the cliff wall, real city with towers and houses. Through the veil of snow, the buildings seemed to be floating in the air. The next day, the blizzard subsided, and Richard returned to get a better look at this miracle. He saw a large stone building that looked like ancient fortress located in the recess of a steep cliff. Dozens of windows looked out from the yellow walls like black rectangles. Subsequently, Richard and his brothers, having made ladders, were able to get to this building and examine it. They also visited neighboring canyons and a year later found 182 more settlements in the rocks. Cowboys sold the found household items to museums and private collectors. It was logical to assume that the ancient cities were built by the predecessors of the Navajo Indians, who by that time inhabited neighboring lands. Therefore, Weatherill suggested calling the inhabitants of the rock settlements of Mesa Verde "Anasazi", which in the Navajo language means "ancestors".

In 1893, the first scientific work devoted to this discovery was published - "The Rock Dwellings of Mesa Verde", written by the Swedish explorer Gustav Nordenskiöld, the son of the famous polar explorer. Soon before these remote places got "black archaeologists" who traded in the sale of artifacts. They burned the log roof big building, broke holes in its walls. In the late 1890s, women's organizations in Colorado launched a campaign to protect the unique antiquities. In 1906, Mesa Verde became the first national park to protect historical objects pre-Columbian America, it was forbidden to excavate and move historical objects from their places.

Humans first settled in the Mesa Verde region around 550 AD. e. They lived on the flat top of the plateau in dugouts covered with branches, hunted and gathered and skillfully wove baskets (why they are called "basketmakers"). TO 8th century they mastered a settled way of life and agriculture, learned to build large houses with many rooms, called pueblos. The period from 1100 to 1300 is considered the heyday of the Mesa Verde civilization. At that time, about five thousand people lived here. They were housed in pueblos built into rock niches on sheer cliffs of deep river canyons. Niches provided protection from bad weather - in summer it was cool there, and in winter it was not as cold as on the surface of the plateau open to all winds. On wooden stairs hanging over the abyss, the Indians got out of the houses on the plateau, to vegetable gardens and corn fields, and to the bottom of the canyon, where ponds were arranged, they descended directly along the rock with hollowed out small depressions for legs and arms.

In general, houses-settlements resemble modern apartment buildings. In Mesa Verde, there is the largest such house in all of North America - the Rock Palace. It contains 150 living rooms and 75 courtyards, in addition, once there were several warehouses and kiv - round rooms for religious ceremonies, these were a kind of church of the first Americans. Drawings have been found in some nearby caves. But they arose much later.

The pueblo does not have a standard architectural plan. Builders erected walls where available, filling in natural niches in a rocky cliff. From the local yellow sandstone, they made blocks the size of a loaf of bread and fastened them with clay soaked in water. The walls of many rooms are plastered and decorated with ornaments.

The inhabitants did their homework mainly on the street - in small courtyards enclosed by a stone wall adjoining the rooms. Women wove baskets and sandals, spun, sewed patterned blankets, made ceramic dishes and painted them with black geometric patterns. In earthenware jugs, corn, beans, smoked meat, berries, nuts, acorns and dried flowers were harvested for the winter, which served as spices. And men made various tools from stone and bone - knives, axes, awls, scrapers. With a fairly high level of construction, the Anasazi remained in the Stone Age - metal was unfamiliar to them. In summer, they lit a fire only for cooking, and in winter, bonfires burned around the clock in all rooms. Until now, the walls and ceilings covered with soot are reminiscent of the cold weather in which people lived for half a year. Everything unnecessary - leftovers, cast-offs, junk - was simply thrown out of the windows onto the slopes of the rocks. Gradually, an abundant cultural layer accumulated at the bottom of the canyon. From it, basically, the richest archaeological collection of the local museum is collected.

The ancient inhabitants of Mesa Verde were fed by their cornfields, vegetable gardens, and surrounding forests. Large seeds of pinyon pine, similar to pine nuts, were stored by the Indians for future use. Decay-resistant juniper wood was used for construction and firewood. Its berries were seasoning for food, and from the bark they made bedding for babies. Near the thickets of the mountain oak, which looks like a shrub, the leaves of which in autumn “burn” among the coniferous forest with bright red-yellow spots, the Indians hunted wild birds that flew in to feast on acorns. Bows and spears were made from the branches of the same oak. Hunters beat deer, rabbits, squirrels, whose skins and fur were used for winter clothes. Light and warm blankets were made from beautiful large feathers of wild turkeys.

One of the most important plants for the Anasazi was the yucca, a shrub that looked like a cactus. From its large leaves, strong fibers were obtained for baskets, ropes, rugs, sandals and clothing. The thorns served as sewing needles, and soup was cooked from the flowers. The fruits, outwardly similar to cucumbers, were eaten. Raw, they taste like melon, and baked - potatoes. Berries were put in yucca fruit puree, cakes were made, dried and stored for the winter - it turned out something like raisin cookies. Soap was made from the roots, as the Hopi Indians in Arizona still make.

Around 1300, the ancient inhabitants of Mesa Verde began to leave these places due to a drought that lasted more than 20 years, and go south, where there was enough water. From the inhabitants of the plateau, the Hopi Indians in the state of Arizona and 19 peoples of the Pueblo group in the Rio Grande basin, including Taos, Acoma, Zuni and others, originate from the inhabitants of the plateau.

And on the Mesa Verde plateau, abandoned 700 years ago, is now lively again - a national park is open there all year round. Despite the distance from major cities, hundreds of thousands of people aspire to visit it. The annual number of tourists is almost 10 times the total number of people who inhabited Mesa Verde for the seven and a half centuries before 1300. Therefore, in order to preserve nature and historical sites, it is allowed to walk in the park only along equipped trails, and visit large dwellings with a ranger. Access to most of the rock settlements is completely closed, they can be admired only from observation platforms on the opposite side of the canyon.

Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwestern Colorado, on a mountain plateau that rises 600 meters above the surrounding area. You can get there only from the north along the highway that runs between the cities of Cortez and Durango. The park covers an area of ​​210 km2. In 1978 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The plateau is covered with coniferous forest dominated by edible pine (Pinus edulis) and hard seed juniper (Juniperus osteosperma). A very beautiful juniper also grows rocky mountains(Juniperus scopulorum) with blue-green needles. Typical shrubs are mountain oak (Quercus gambelii) and broad-leaved yucca (Yucca arizonica). More than 200 species of birds live in the park, including the golden eagle, great owl, striped hawk, different kinds hummingbird. White-tailed rabbit, stone squirrel, coyote, puma, lizards, non-venomous bull snake and tarantulas are found here. The park protects about 600 rock settlements of indigenous people. North America VI-XIII centuries and 3,400 other ancient objects - dugouts and ruins of houses on the plateau, river dams at the bottom of canyons, sites for peeling corn and pine cones. Most large structures: Rock Palace - 225 rooms, Long House - 150, House near the fir trees - 120. Mesa Verde Park is very popular among tourists, up to 700 thousand visitors come here every year.

Mesa Verde National Park

Sources:
Book "100 wonders of the world"