Mesa Verde National Park is located in Southwestern Colorado. It is an archeological area with several sites from Native American prehistory. There are 3 dwelling types, pit houses, pueblos, and cliff dwellings, represented among the sites in the area.
The mesa itself is at an elevation of about 7000 feet above sea level. The area is one of dry climate, with the normal rainfall of about 17". The importance of rainfall in this area is not so much in the quantity as in the timing of the rainfall. If it comes at the right time, crops will grow; if not they will die. Another important factor is the growing season, the time between frosts, as this elevation in the Southwest has relatively cold winters. The area must be frost free long enough to allow for the seeds to sprout and the crop to mature.
Mesa Verde was one of the homes of the Anasazi. The Hopi claim the Anasazi as ancestors.
Mesa Verde is an area of constant research. This means what I write now will be incomplete or obsolete tomorrow. The pictures are things that interest me. I'm including a few important links and a little information, mostly personal impressions and experiences.
This is a view of the sacred mountains, home of some of the Kachinas, in the distance.
| Pit House | Pueblo | Cliff Dwelling | Petroglyphs | Kivas |
