Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado preserves the largest and best-known cliff-dwelling complex of the Ancestral Puebloan people. Occupied approximately 600-1300 CE; the cliff dwellings themselves date primarily to the Pueblo III period (1150-1300 CE). The site holds over 5,000 known archaeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings tucked into south-facing alcoves of the canyon walls. Cliff Palace, the largest, contains 150 rooms and 23 kivas. The reasons for the rapid late-13th-century abandonment remain incompletely resolved : prolonged megadrought is documented but does not by itself explain the speed or the totality of the departure. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978, one of the original 12 inscribed.

37.1853°, -108.4861°

Walkthrough videos (2)

The Mystery of the Ancient Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde, Colorado, USA | Ancient ArchitectsAncient Architects

Mesa Verde's Cliffside Dwellings Show a Glimpse of History | National GeographicNational Geographic

Nearby sites

• Hovenweep57 km
• Chaco Canyon (Chaco Culture)134 km
• Canyon de Chelly144 km