Mesa Verde Time Travel

Time travel is possible.

One trip to Mesa Verde, and I had stepped back in time. Way back. 

Sitting on 52,000 acres, there are (at last count) 5000 archaeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings. Evidence of a large, worldly population with access to fine goods (for the time) from far away coasts is everywhere. The preservation efforts at this National Park are ongoing, and newly discovered sites continue to provide new clues into just how sophisticated the Ancestral Puebloans who lived there were.

While thoroughly enjoying one of the guided tours at the park, the docent spoke about recent wildfires. Recent in historical context rather than ‘last week’ kind of recent. Between 1996 and 2003 a series of lightning sparked wildfires tore across the park. And while there was damage to some of the archaeological sites, the fire ate up the dense underbrush and revealed hundreds of new sites, as well as water containment features such as terracing. While it is known that corn, beans and squash were crops grown by the inhabitants, the evidence that they used advanced methods for conserving precious water was a thought provoking find.

 

The tour stopped at most of the major overlooks, enabling people of any fitness level to experience the wonder of the park. To get up close and personal with spots like the Cliff Palace, the hike was brief, but required some effort. It’s in a cliff after all, so you scramble down to it, and then back up. 

I was struck by just how ‘new’ and crisp the corners of the buildings were. They looked like modern construction. So while I was looking back in time, those Ancestral Puebloans had their sights set on the future. Buildings were made to last, their agriculture was essentially ‘modular’ making use of the nooks and crannies that had water, and moving water to where it was needed. Over an estimated 700 years the Ancestral Puebloans lived on or near Mesa Verde and the four-corners region. At it’s peak – 20,000 people called the region home. And then in the span of a generation or two, they left Mesa Verde and never returned.

At first, because of the way the dwellings were found, scientists thought that something dramatic must have happened, and that Mesa Verde was left in a hurry. Was there a tragedy or an emergency? Homes were left seemingly mid meal, like the occupants stopped whatever they were doing and ran. But newer evidence leans toward a deliberate plan, an unstoppable move south. It is felt that the emigrants moved toward the Rio Grande and the Little Colorado river. Eventually and peacefully, the former residents of Mesa Verde become one with the inhabitants of New Mexico and Arizona. Their descendants live on today in the people of the pueblos of Acomo, Zuni to name just a few.

Visiting Mesa Verde should be on your ‘must see’ list especially if you are interested in ancient culture. The landscape, the history, the ability to walk the same avenue that a child did 900 years ago is something you shouldn’t miss.

 

Mesa Verde allows you to travel through time. No TARDIS required.