Aussie Wendy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
Sunday Nov 2 Mesa Verde to Monument Valley
Part 1 A history lesson at Mesa Verde
We slept great but woke early. Daylight saving ended overnight so had heaps of time this am for some diary and netbook time. It was very dark outside and kept lightening and thundering and pouring down so we had grave doubts we would be able to see Mesa Verde, which commenced winter hours today.
Had a nice buffet breakfast of freshly made waffles and banana. This hotel was another with a breakfast room with a big fireplace for winter. We headed out into the rain. Along the way look what we struck - snow!
Clouds rolling in (to left of pic)
The plateau is covered in cloud but there is blue sky!
At the Mesa Verde National Park Visitors Centre there were others also enquiring about the route up the mountain but apparently all was good. We found that we didnt need to book for the winter tour, just turn up at the time.
A pic of the sculpture outside showing an ancestral Puebloan climbing up a cliff face using toe and hand holds with a pack of wood on his back.
In the Moment by Joe Cajero Jnr, me and a storyteller
It was a slow trip up the mountain but with good views til the clouds rolled in.
Driving through dense cloud in one spot, a very hesitant the whole time car in front chose to pull over and as we passed him, we saw in the rear view mirror he turned around (probably more dangerous than keeping going!) but we were soon out of the cloud and waiting to go through the tunnel. Here a pack of coyotes crossed the road behind the car that was behind us-hence we only got a quick look at them in our side mirrors and they were gone.
Either wild turkeys or Kori Bustards anyone know?
We parked at Chapin Mesa and had a look at the museum and watched the film while we waited for our 10.30am guided tour to Spruce Tree House, the only house open in winter-time and requires a guide unlike summer.
**History alert** . This is the largest archaeological preserve in US with 4000 known sites dating from AD550 to 1300. The oldest known inhabitants built subterranean pit houses grouped together in pueblos (villages) on mesa tops (that are 2000 ft high) around 750AD. After up to 600 years of living on top of the mesas, around the 1200s they moved into shallow caves & recesses in the cliffs and constructed complex cliff dwellings. In comparison they only stayed here around 75 to 100 years. The ledges were less exposed to weather (and much warmer in winter with angle of the sun) and easier to defend from attack and it is not known why they all, relatively suddenly, moved out though a long drought and food shortages are postulated as reasons. It is believed they joined communities further south who now form the 19 pueblos of New Mexico.
Looking down towards Spruce Tree House
Our guide showing us an ear of blue corn that the Pueblos would have grown that had a much higher protein level than our yellow corn, and explaining how they bred them to produce more rows per ear of corn.
A close-up from the top
DH panorama
The average lifespan of the people is believed to be 35 and a couple of generations lived in the cliff houses which were constantly being added to. Spruce Tree House is the third largest in the complex with 130 rooms. I would like to come back one day to walk around Cliff Palace and Balcony House where you can go further in amongst the rooms.
Showing how the walls neatly meet the ceiling of the alcove and the unusual T-shaped doors in some. There is debate as to whether the T shape doors have a practical function or are symbolic. In front are kivas with restored roofs. Towards the back of the area the ceilings are covered in soot caused by fires.
Remnants of coloured plaster used to decorate the walls (cross hatch pattern) and part of the balcony struts
Stone mutates (used to grind grains into flour) with large manos (or grinding stones)
A ceremonial kiva, one of 8 in Spruce Tree House
This pic shows the traditional layout with the rock to deflect the fresh air coming in through the vent and the fireplace. The little hole in the floor beyond the fireplace, the sipapu, represents the underworld through which the Puebloans believe their ancestors pass from one life into the next.
Inside one of the restored kivas. It was nice and warm.
Looking back up at Chaplin Mesa Archaeological Museum
Looking along the ledge
Part 1 A history lesson at Mesa Verde
We slept great but woke early. Daylight saving ended overnight so had heaps of time this am for some diary and netbook time. It was very dark outside and kept lightening and thundering and pouring down so we had grave doubts we would be able to see Mesa Verde, which commenced winter hours today.
Had a nice buffet breakfast of freshly made waffles and banana. This hotel was another with a breakfast room with a big fireplace for winter. We headed out into the rain. Along the way look what we struck - snow!
Clouds rolling in (to left of pic)
The plateau is covered in cloud but there is blue sky!
At the Mesa Verde National Park Visitors Centre there were others also enquiring about the route up the mountain but apparently all was good. We found that we didnt need to book for the winter tour, just turn up at the time.
A pic of the sculpture outside showing an ancestral Puebloan climbing up a cliff face using toe and hand holds with a pack of wood on his back.
In the Moment by Joe Cajero Jnr, me and a storyteller
It was a slow trip up the mountain but with good views til the clouds rolled in.
Driving through dense cloud in one spot, a very hesitant the whole time car in front chose to pull over and as we passed him, we saw in the rear view mirror he turned around (probably more dangerous than keeping going!) but we were soon out of the cloud and waiting to go through the tunnel. Here a pack of coyotes crossed the road behind the car that was behind us-hence we only got a quick look at them in our side mirrors and they were gone.
Either wild turkeys or Kori Bustards anyone know?
We parked at Chapin Mesa and had a look at the museum and watched the film while we waited for our 10.30am guided tour to Spruce Tree House, the only house open in winter-time and requires a guide unlike summer.
**History alert** . This is the largest archaeological preserve in US with 4000 known sites dating from AD550 to 1300. The oldest known inhabitants built subterranean pit houses grouped together in pueblos (villages) on mesa tops (that are 2000 ft high) around 750AD. After up to 600 years of living on top of the mesas, around the 1200s they moved into shallow caves & recesses in the cliffs and constructed complex cliff dwellings. In comparison they only stayed here around 75 to 100 years. The ledges were less exposed to weather (and much warmer in winter with angle of the sun) and easier to defend from attack and it is not known why they all, relatively suddenly, moved out though a long drought and food shortages are postulated as reasons. It is believed they joined communities further south who now form the 19 pueblos of New Mexico.
Looking down towards Spruce Tree House
Our guide showing us an ear of blue corn that the Pueblos would have grown that had a much higher protein level than our yellow corn, and explaining how they bred them to produce more rows per ear of corn.
A close-up from the top
DH panorama
The average lifespan of the people is believed to be 35 and a couple of generations lived in the cliff houses which were constantly being added to. Spruce Tree House is the third largest in the complex with 130 rooms. I would like to come back one day to walk around Cliff Palace and Balcony House where you can go further in amongst the rooms.
Showing how the walls neatly meet the ceiling of the alcove and the unusual T-shaped doors in some. There is debate as to whether the T shape doors have a practical function or are symbolic. In front are kivas with restored roofs. Towards the back of the area the ceilings are covered in soot caused by fires.
Remnants of coloured plaster used to decorate the walls (cross hatch pattern) and part of the balcony struts
Stone mutates (used to grind grains into flour) with large manos (or grinding stones)
A ceremonial kiva, one of 8 in Spruce Tree House
This pic shows the traditional layout with the rock to deflect the fresh air coming in through the vent and the fireplace. The little hole in the floor beyond the fireplace, the sipapu, represents the underworld through which the Puebloans believe their ancestors pass from one life into the next.
Inside one of the restored kivas. It was nice and warm.
Looking back up at Chaplin Mesa Archaeological Museum
Looking along the ledge
