Touring Mesa Verde

Perhaps it’s appropriate I was about to show some of the ruins we saw at Mesa Verde on the day some internet friends are calling the end of America as we know it. I don’t really hold that dire of view, though I’ve been guilty too often in the recent past of worrying that the Apocalyptic movies that are in vogue might be an accurate portrayal of what awaits America if we don’t change our ways.

I thought park officials did a superb job of showing how building methods were developed over time, going from buildings with rock foundations and thatched roofs to “apartment” houses. However, Mesa Verde also serves as a warning that “progress” is no guarantee of long-term success. Only hubris would make us think our civilization isn’t as vulnerable to destructive forces as every civilization that has preceded us.

There are so many sites it’s difficult to remember all their names, much less the exact dates of each site, but it’s easy to tell the relatively early sites

earlyruins

from the later ones with more advanced brickwork.

earlyruins2

Just as its easy to see the difference between modest pueblos

laterruins

and the Cliff Palace.

cliffpalace

Only one of the larger sites was open to tour the day we were there, but the two days we were there were hectic, almost too hectic.

One thought on “Touring Mesa Verde”

  1. I went to Mesa Verde as a teenager in 1968. I was fascinated by the place – I wonder why I haven’t been back? Feel free to post more photos!

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