Mesa Verde National Park 2

(9/18 and 9/19 continued) Cliff Palace, the largest of the cliff houses at Mesa Verde.

For some reason, perhaps defense against hostile tribes, the Ancestral Puebloans relocated their dwellings to the alcoves on the cliff face in the early 1200s.

The remarkable houses they constructed there included multi-room living units, square and round towers . . .

and kivas similar to those they had on the mesa top.

This kiva has a restored wooden roof. Visitors are permitted to climb down into it.

We had an excellent guide, who conveyed his information in a very lively fashion. He really held the group's attention.