The Ancient Pueblo People Who Carved Cities Into Colorado’s 6,000-Foot Cliffs

The Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

For 700 years, the Ancestral Puebloans called Mesa Verde home, creating a society that thrived in Colorado’s high desert. They started in pit houses, then moved to pueblos, and finally built their famous cliff dwellings around 1190 CE.

These weren’t just homes but entire communities with plazas, towers, and ceremonial rooms called kivas. Here’s their story, preserved at Mesa Verde National Park where you can walk through their ancient homes today.

When The First People Arrived In The Four Corners

The Ancestral Puebloans came to Mesa Verde around 550 CE. They grew from the earlier Basketmaker culture that lived in the Four Corners area since 1000 BCE.

For 600 years, they lived mainly on mesa tops in pithouses. These homes were shallow pits covered with wooden frames and mud.

By 750 CE, they started building above-ground stone homes that grew into complex pueblos. The population peaked around 1250 CE with about 20,000 people in the region.

Why They Abandoned The Mesa Tops For Cliffs

Around 1190 CE, the Ancestral Puebloans began building homes in cliff alcoves after centuries on the mesa tops. This big change happened during a time of growing social tension and environmental stress.

The cliff spots had clear benefits. Overhanging rock blocked rain and snow. South-facing alcoves caught winter sun and summer shade, helping control temperature.

Many experts think safety concerns drove this move. Cliff homes needed ladders to enter, making them easier to defend.

How They Built Without Metal Tools Or Wheels

The Ancestral Puebloans built cliff homes using sandstone blocks, wooden beams, and mortar made from mud and ash. They shaped each stone by hand using harder river rocks.

Without metal tools, wheels, or work animals, workers carried all building materials to the sites. They cut trees with stone axes, leaving marks that experts can still identify today.

The builders used natural parts of the alcoves, made multi-story buildings, and created water collection systems.

The Sacred Underground Rooms Called Kivas

Kivas were the heart of Ancestral Puebloan spiritual and community life. These round, underground rooms appear in every cliff dwelling. Cliff Palace alone has 23 kivas.

Each kiva had a central fire pit, air shaft, and stone that blocked drafts from putting out the fire. People entered through a hole in the roof using a ladder.

Families gathered there in cold winter months for warmth, talking, and making crafts. Some kivas had colorful wall paintings with patterns and pictures of animals and plants.

Farming Corn At 7,000 Feet Elevation

The Ancestral Puebloans farmed mesa tops despite short growing seasons, little rain, and high elevation over 7,000 feet. They grew corn, beans, and squash – foods that formed the base of their diet.

To make the most of scarce water, they built small dams, terraces, and reservoirs. These systems caught rainwater and stopped soil from washing away.

By 1000 CE, they started raising turkeys for meat and feathers. During dry periods, they added wild foods like piñon nuts, berries, and yucca to their meals.

The Black And White Pottery They Created

The Ancestral Puebloans made unique black-on-white pottery with geometric patterns. They started making pottery around 750 CE, and their designs grew more complex over time.

Women wove cotton and yucca fibers into baskets, sandals, and clothes. The dry climate kept many woven items intact, showing their advanced weaving skills.

They made tools from stone, bone, and wood. Stone tools included axes, scrapers, drills, and arrowheads. Bone awls and needles helped with sewing and working leather.

Special Hunting Rituals Before Big Hunts

Hunting added vital protein to the Ancestral Puebloan farm-based diet. Hunters used bows and arrows to catch deer, bighorn sheep, and smaller animals like rabbits.

After the fall harvest, hunting groups formed to track animals coming down from higher ground. Some hunting rituals took place in kivas the night before big hunts.

Some animals were hunted for specific uses. Deer used in ceremonies were choked rather than shot with arrows to keep their skins whole.

Trading Shells And Turquoise Across 500 Miles

The Ancestral Puebloans traded with communities hundreds of miles away. Items from these trades included seashells from the Pacific Coast, copper bells from Mexico, and colorful bird feathers from Central America.

Turquoise, highly valued for jewelry and ceremonies, came from mines in New Mexico and was traded widely. These connections spread not just goods but also ideas and skills.

Farming methods, pottery styles, and building techniques moved through these networks.

The 23-Year Drought That Drove Them Away

From 1276 to 1299 CE, the Mesa Verde region suffered a severe drought. Tree-ring studies show these 23 years were among the driest in the region’s history.

By studying ancient trash piles, experts found that wild plants and animals replaced farm crops in diets during this time. Some plant remains appear to be rarely eaten foods used only in desperate times.

The drought came with colder temperatures that made growing seasons even shorter. Crop failures hit hard for people who depended on farming.

DNA Evidence Of Where They Went Next

By 1300 CE, the Ancestral Puebloans had left Mesa Verde completely. Evidence shows they moved south to areas with more reliable water.

DNA research on turkey bones from Mesa Verde matched turkey DNA in northern Rio Grande sites after the migration. This confirms a large movement of people to that region.

Modern Pueblo groups in northern New Mexico share biological, language, and cultural links with the Mesa Verde people. Their oral stories describe this journey south.

Visiting Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park protects over 5,000 archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. The park covers 52,485 acres with elevations from 6,000 to 8,500 feet.

Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling, requires a ranger-guided tour that you must reserve ahead of time. Other major sites include Balcony House, Long House, and Spruce Tree House.

The Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum displays artifacts found at Mesa Verde and explains Ancestral Puebloan culture.

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