Description

This 3D reconstruction is one interpretation of what Mesa Verde may have looked like during its heyday. The Colorado mesa, Mesa Verde, was chosen as the settling point for a group of nomadic Indians. These Indians, named Anasazi (meaning "Ancient Ones") by the Navajo, Hisatsinom by the Hopi, and Ancestral Puebloans by the NPS, occupied the mesa top for approximately 600 years before they began building their most famous remnants: the cliff dwellings. Mesa Verde National Park's archaeological sites span over 700 years of Native American history, being inhabited from AD 600 - 1300. The renowned cliff dwellings, the height of the Puebloans' architecture, include more than 600 units. Yet many of these structures were being built at the time the first Anasazi began to leave. Over the span of two generations, the site was abandoned. The reasons are unclear as the Anasazi left no written records; however, there are some signs that seem significant--and a few theories that are less credible. It is known that a drought struck the area in 1276 and lasted for 23 years. This drought, in addition to what may have been a depletion of resources after 600 years of occupation, most likely lead to desertion and abandonment.

Credit: DesignsbyALX

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Media Id: media_MES_20080909_162457 Date Uploaded: 2008-09-09 16:24:57 Polygons: 13550 Verticies: 24230 Textured Polygons: 10042 Untextured Polygons: 3508