The Mystery of the Ancient Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde, Colorado, USA | Ancient Architects
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- Not many people will have heard of this amazing site in Colorado USA, a site that is the largest cliff dwelling in North America and known as Cliff Palace.
Cliff Palace was built by a people known as the Ancestral Pueblans, also known as the Anasazi, which means the ancient ones. They were native to the Four Corners region of the United States, where the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona neatly intersect.
It is estimated that around 100 to 125 people lived here between 1200 and 1300 AD and they accessed the site with the aid of retractable wooden ladders. It has 150 rooms, constructed out of natural sandstone, with the addition of wooden beams and mortar.
Cliff Palace is a truly incredible site displaying unique architecture and murals from the Ancestral Puebloan culture and although we do know a great deal about the people that lived here, there is one mystery about the site: why was it abandoned around 1300 AD? Watch this video to learn more and please like and subscribe to the channel.
Music is from Ross Budgen. Subscribe to his amazing channel at / @rossbugden
All images are taken from Google Images for educational purposes only.
Sources:
www.nationalgeographic.org/me...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_P...
www.khanacademy.org/humanitie...
www.nps.gov/meve/learn/histor...
Thanks for watching! Please like and subscribe and please leave a comment below. If you want to support the channel, I’m on Patreon at www.patreon.com/ancientarchitects
From an American, you did a great job in this video and I’d love to see more! 👍🏼😁 I never miss any of your videos.
Mural at 4:25 worthy of it's own video. Has anyone deciphered these images? (ie; horns on humans?, Cowboys on horses?)
These people were under siege on a regular basis.
@@robnedloh9686 there's loads of interpretations and layers of art.
Definitely has it's own beauty. GOOD WORK
Ceremonial... the archaeologist word for "i don't know"
Lol. In this case, descendants of these people still use kiva-like structures for ceremony so there is a shred of evidence to go on. Just!
@@AncientArchitects indeed. I once attended a dance at the Cochiti Pueblo. Truly facinating one time in life experience.
@@AncientArchitects More than a shred - today's Hopi still use Kivas in the same way their ancestors did. Unfortunately thanks to poor behavior and disrespect from tourists, the ceremonies are now closed to the public and they don't share the sacred parts of their history or culture. I do know the sipapu symbolizes the portal through which their ancient ancestors first emerged to enter the present world. They also know what the ancient petroglyphs mean, but again don't share in most cases.
@@AncientArchitects The "descendants" are not the true descendants, they don't really have a clue about how it was originally used. Other groups have better theories, but in reality, the kivas are complete mystery as to it's purpose.
@@escapedcops08 "Kiva" is used as a catch all for semi subterranean circular structures in the region. Many of the smaller ones contain mostly domestic refuse. It would make sense as the people who built these lived in similar pit structures before they began building the above ground room blocks. It is the larger kivas, or great kivas, that seem to show a more ritual function. But you are right, we don't know what was going on, and it probably isn't cut and dried either.
I've worked on archeological sites in this region. There are many, many sites, the most impressive is Pueblo Bonita at Chaco Canyon not too far from Mesa Verde. Great places to visit. The Puebloan people still live in these areas!
Awesome - I’ll look into this!
@@AncientArchitects also check out the sun temple also at Mesa verde. It's basically a large protractor probably used as part calendar part ruler.
I'll have to check it out after winter.
Interesting, but that monotone, singsong chant makes me want to SCREAM!
BBC accent fr HELL....
YESSS!
totally agree...super annoying! Surprised this person does not recognize this.
Get over it, cousin!
He sounds like he's announcing train times.
I grew up a few hours from here and spent numerous days exploring the area. Definitely one of the coolest places I have ever visited. The whole four corners region is absolutely loaded with Native American and dinosaur treasures.
Yes - beautiful and interesting place
I already wanted tho go but you said native treasures made me want to even more. When I was around 7 I found an arrow head and been in love with native history sense then. Ancient history as well
There are obvious signs of water being here at one point...
Let me start by saying I'm no geologist or scientist, but I've visited Mesa Verde several times in recent years, and in my honest opinion, I believe everything about this location points to the notion that the canyons were once filled with water and that the waterways were the primary source of transportation for these people. First off, the most easily identifiable piece of evidence for this is the clear signs of water erosion on the cliff face, canyon floor, and dense foliage in the canyon itself. I believe the proper term for the particular erosion I am describing at Mesa Verde is called 'Gulley Erosion'? Along with this, when you closely look at the various locations of the Mesas, (there are nearly a dozen different 'Mesas' within the park itself) every one of the structures located within a close proximity of one another are at the EXACT SAME ELEVATION WITHIN THE CANYONS, with clear, indistinguishable signs of water erosion just below these various Mesas! I can't make this stuff up, I kept telling my girlfriend when we visited 2 months ago, "ANYONE WHO DOESN'T SEE THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR RIVER HERE AT SOME POINT IS BLIND!" Third, the Colorado Plateau, famous for Bruce Canyon, Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, Canyon of the Ancients, and yes, Mesa Verde was clearly carved by runoff from flood water in an ancient past, as described in numerous papers and websites across the world. It's no secret that the plateau was once a water filled chunk of land, and the signs of runoff through Mesa Verde are clearly evident. For a society that used supposedly used ladders, ropes, and climbed the cliffs for movement and transportation of stone, giant logs, food, and basic materials, there are ZERO Mesas and ZERO signs of human traffic and activity at the floor of the canyons, which should immediately set off flags for anyone with a basic understanding of anthropology and archeology. For anyone who has visited Mesa Verde and looked deeper into this as well, please tell me what your thoughts on it are. I hope this comment doesnt get lost in the vast uselessness of youtube and some great information can be brought forward!
I know this is a three year old comment but I’m a geologist grad student at cu boulder and you’re right about the creek systems having more water in them but humans where not in North America when the water was higher
Very interesting theory!
Interesting
Hurr durr
Great shift from Egypt, remarkable place indeed, one can feel the energy of the place, large rocks, view, scenes, gorge, ancient people knew how to live well.
Every few videos I need a change of content for my own brain! And I’m sure the viewers like a change of scene too!
How do you feel the energy? Please elaborate. Does it implant strength in your body to look at the photo?
I live in the Navajo region of Arizona and have several sites around me that date back to 11,000 years ago. Kivas, cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and lots of tools and pottery. Its fascinating! The evidence of ancient cultures is abundant here in the southwest, and often goes unnoticed.
Great place to live!
We had many in the desert areas around Palm Springs, CA, as well. Some are even in town. However, I always felt that they were being disrespected with not much effort to preserve them. And the Native Americans who live there still own most of the land! Go figure.
@@LadyMaven
Maybe they look at them the way we look at old rundown houses. Not as awe inspiring , but as decrepit eyesores.
And hopefully continues to go unnoticed
Just got back a couple of weeks ago from exploring around Durango, Silverton, etc and had the opportunity to do this tour at Cliff Palace. We actually took a bus from Durango so that's about a 1.5 hour drive and our driver, Wes, was absolutely fascinating. He has been doing National Park guides for about 40 years, including the Grand Canyon. A teacher, historian, philosopher.. and willing to teach us about the history of the Pueblo people. I learned so much in those 3 hours driving there and back. Getting to actually see and touch the kivas was absolutely amazing. Walking down into the palace...it's other-worldly. I cried my eyes out. The energy here is BIG and it's so easy to feel. It's pretty amazing because also because as massive as it looks, it actually goes back 9 more layers (if I'm not mistaken) and contains 150 rooms. Simply astounding. Especially if you can imagine that you wouldn't have seen any of that exposed rock, it would've been covered in plaster and then painted different colors. I bet it was GORGEOUS 🥰. The engineering they displayed is really quite impressive... If you're able, just go.
I just visited this site this past August!!! Amazing site! While the kivas were used for ceremony or whatever, they were also used as the daily fire place for most families, and the reason there were 21 built at this location is because they believe there were 21 different families living in the Palace dwelling. When a man got married, he would join his wifes family and move to their Kiva for most activities.
Thanks for that! Interesting!
Never heard of this findings in Colorado what school text books don't teach us. Thank for the video.
I’m tired of learning stuff I never knew! It blows my self image:) thanks
Ha. Thanks
Love this comment! Cheers!
I really like these places. I see how their ideal for everything you say in the video. Definitely would like to learn more about these kind of places.
check out old arizona highways magazines. these were often featured. some of the best photography ever
Strange feeling of having been there before .... thanks for doing a piece on this place
I understand. You certainly have been there in a past life, for sure! 😊
Spent 4 days at Mesa Verde along my adventures through the 4 Corners. Cannot wait to get back.
I went there when I was a kid and I remember that the ladders to get around were so scary!
Ha... I’m not great with heights myself.
allenyusuke Me too, back in the 50s
@@katlur wow! For me it was 15 years ago! And I got a special park ranger badge for completing the tour. Did they have that in the 50s?
Ya i went also when I was a youngin and got sick as fuck for whatever reason so the memory I have isn’t great.
Nice to see a video about ancient architecture in my part of the world - thanks! I live 7 miles from ruins of a small Anasazi village and have found numerous petroglyphs in the area. If you're interested in the topic, may I suggest researching the ruins at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico? The astronomical alignments rival those of any other ancient site. There is a video by PBS - believe it was called "The Mystery of Chaco Canyon" that you can usually find online - makes a good starting place. Thanks again!
A few have said this and it’s now on my radar! Thank you
I have had the pleasure of taking the tour through this they are amazing and the whole valley is wonderful.
I need to visit one day after learning about it.
I should also mention our guide said she had been there on the summer solstice to observe alignments of the sun through certain windows, of one of the locations, and that I remember a dwelling on the cliffs they said was used to keep live animals such as turkeys. Also, the place we see it as today, was not discovered in that condition. Whether the rubble fell naturally over the centuries or it was intentionally dismantled before being abandoned, I am unsure.
@@AncientArchitects I saw this on the same road trip that I saw Newspaper Rock and many other Southwest sites. If you go someday, I recommend renting a vehicle to really experience it.
Being from Utah, I remember learning about this in the fifth grade. Truly beautiful to imagine what that place was like when it was inhabited. Stunning architecture.
I remember going there in the 1950s with mom and dad... It left an indelible impression on my young mind.. Especially when I had my first contact with Native American people who would dance in full regalia... It impressed me so much, I chose to sculpt that subject to this day... Thank you for this reminder..
Amazing. Thanks for sharing the personal connection
Finally I can say I have been to one of the historic sites you have covered. There is much yet to be discovered as they continue to find other dwellings that have been hidden by thick foliage only to be exposed by wild fire.
Hopefully more finds and information comes to light 👍
My wife and I visited this site a few years ago. You definitely get the feeling of wonder at how they built this small city down such steep terrain.
If you're traveling, this site is a must visit. Much planning went into this layout, a layout which also was designed to ensure longevity.
Oh how I would love to fix a place like that up and live there
Now that would be incredible! Party at your house!
Ancient Architects ooo yes I agree! I’ll bring the party libations*wink *wink
If I could I’d psychically look back, would be amazing to visit with one who lived there way back in time....⛰
Sawpit, CO is the modern version of this. On the way to telluride, you will find a gas station/market with 2 / 4 pumps. Small village where we all started.
I was born near here. On that map, the small town of Durango , Colorado.
I had seen basic images of this site before but nothing that showed it so clearly in all of it's glory. Thank you so much for this Matt - much appreciated.
Thank you for watching
You are a bright light on this planet! Thanks for shining it on places that I never knew existed! Namaste 🙏
Thanx for the beautiful pictures. ❤⛰❤and great vid
Thanks Lynn!
Went as a kid. Always been fascinated. Incredible
I live in Arizona and we have a lot of Indian ruins in our area. Check out Canyon De Chelly, and Montezuma castle. Cheers
Cheers
Arizona is wonderful for ancient site visitation, National Parks and Monuments
There are very similar cliff dwellings in Arizona.
Born & raised in Colorado, this vid ROCKS! No pun intended. I’ve always felt these were much older then reported. I believe there’s more then meets the eye just like Peru. I love your work, this made my day. Thank you
Thanks for watching
Ya, much older than what the official story tells us, like for all those very ancient sacred sites worldwide, constructed according to the Lay lines (energetic grid of Earth), the sacred geometry, the position of the stars, which produce special phenomena at equinoxes and solstices, and are place of high energies and mysticism. ;)
My family is there right now. I broke my foot and was unable to go so I was glad to find this video to sort of be there. Great info thanks
I've been there. I stayed in Cortez for work. The whole area is breathtaking, and has a feeling to it.
Been there!!
There’s so many of these albeit smaller ones tucked away throughout a massive system of valleys and mesas. On top there are large round cisterns all connected to springs via small rock channels. It’s a whole other videos worth!
Such a beautiful flow to the buildings nesting inside the cliff. Like a baby in it's mothers arms.
I've been fascinated by places like this ever since reading about them as a kid.
If you need to take a break from Ancient Egypt, I wouldn't object to seeing more about sites like this.
I saw these as a child. They are utterly fascinating and intriguing. Thanks for bringing them back to life.
Loved this video!! I've never seen it up close...please think about making another one ☺️ loved this one again thank you for all your hard work.
What a beautiful place. The brickwork at the front looks like was done yesterday and is just waiting to be finished. Great video again 👍👏
Very nice presentation. I have had the pleasure to visit Mesa Verde’ twice in my life. It is a fantastic place to see and the entire environment is unique and an ecological biom as the result of being down in a canyon that protects it from the desert environment above. The canyon shades itself from the extreme heat and sun at the top, preserves moisture, collects moisture through the soils in the watershed on top of the Mesa which percolates through the sandy soils and down by gravity through the sandstone allowing Piñon Pines Forest to exist and small scale agricultural practices to sustain people’s in the best of years.
Just a small correction. Verde’ is Spanish for green, thus Green Mesa. However, the “e” in the end o verde’ is not silent, in fact, it is shown with an accident mark in Spanish meaning to emphasize it. Thus, pronouncing it Ver-day.
The old professor
_"...it is shown with an _*_accident_*_ mark in Spanish..."_
Somehow my initials got mixed up in your accent - spooky entanglement at a distance?
Thank you for taking the time. I am a little more educated now. Thanks
I have been there several times and walked and climbed through it. Amazing place. The Mesa is very large!
Great work as always
So much to uncover here
It deserves your full attention though so please wait until u are ready
Your work is unparalleled when u are in the grove
Shoutout to all the Forrest Fenn Treasure searchers!
I'm thinking it's in a forest.
I've been to a similar site near Sedona, Az. Great place to visit if you can. The energy out there is amazing.
Coloradan here. It's pronounced "May suh vair day". Thanks for the video!
I had a school field trip to that site! Pine nuts everywhere! Lots of wildlife!
Congrat's on that. I'd love to see it.
AH.. I have been there twice in my life. very cool place to visit. I did the walk though of it once.
👍👍
Would love to see more on this subject, and any relationship to Montezuma's Castle & Well in Arizona.
Montezumas well was occupied by the Hohokam much later than Mesa verde. There’s historical photos of the people living there. You can get a lot of info just from their park website. Montezumas well contains a gas that makes the water uninhabitable to animals. There is only a specific type of leach that lives in the water. Supposedly the water bubbles up from deep underground.
Wow! Super happy, and very surprised, to see a video on a structure in my home state, after watching your channel for awhile I never expected to see Mesa Verde. Though the accepted explanation, about the anasazi and why they left the Pueblo civilization, water shortages? I don't know
Fascinating, as always;more would of course be great💥👊❤💯👏👏👏Wishing you&yours a good week👋🌟✌
Thanks
That place is so cool to visit and walk around, there are tons of other ruins around there that you can walk thru too.
Been to mesa Verde. Very awesome. Much to explore. A whole civilization expanding into new mexico
I toured the Mesa Verde ruins in the mid-'60's ... It was an impression place, and I felt a definite energy there ...
I visited this place with my family around 35 years ago. I wasn't fond of the ladders but did it as I wanted to see the ruins. I don't remember seeing all of it and would love to go back sometime and take my kids.
Been there and others in the 4 corners region. They are amazing and I am glad to see you discussing them. The hand prints are amazing to see.
Thank you for bringing other cultures than the Egyptian, we all could learn a lot closer to home
This site is fascinating and mysterious. Its inhabitants built this small city with approximately 150 rooms during the 13th century A.D. and they used construction methods and architectural designs like the ancient Romans. Apparently, there was no relationship. Due to unknown reasons, the city was abandoned. Great video.
I seen others talk about this place. You have put it in a beautiful perspective.
VERY NICE VIDEO BIG GUY !
There are a few cool ones in Arizona too. Liked the new score also. Tank's for your GOOD WORK !!! 👍 See you when I'm looking at you ! 🖖 😎
Such a magical place
It is a cool place, been there a couple of times, once just looking at it from afar, once over in it.. long time ago both times. There are also lots of small "cliff dwellings" upstream along the Colorado River, and after the confluence of the Green River and the Colorado,, one can see them along the Green River too.
That was my mother's favorite place in the world.
Cliffs to help protect against plasma. They drew plasma outbursts in the petroglyphs.
Clearly more modern construction techniques than the locals were capable of. Perhaps learned from the Minoan copper traders who wintered over in the Southwest before sailing back. This would have been a few thousand years before CE. The cliff dwellings were clearly built to avoid detection, and destruction from airborne or spaceborne enemies.
Thank you for this post . I plan to use this for my granddaughters, grades 6th and 1st, who I home school . 📚 Very informative .
Nice to see that recent episodes have put aside promoting the 'independent research' angle and focused on known history.
"And no-one knows what the hole in the pit floor was for" - Nothing like a lengthy ceremony with sacrifices to create the urgent need for a call of nature. Good video, yes please to more.
Perhaps for a roof support post?
I love this channel. Thank you very much.
Great subject,enigmatic. I wasn't aware of the murals. Randall Carlson goes in depth about the culture of this region & the geometry & astrology at various sites & the dead straight roads connecting them.
I’ll check his stuff out. Thanks
You are aware that the area you looking at is primarily flat. The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line.
@@patzeuner3362 basically that's true but there are some areas where the roads cross over, instead of around, some significant geographical features.
I'll have to check this out one day!
Yes, more please.
👍
I went here as a kid and loved it
Living in this AZ 4 corner area we find pottery shards and old foundations while mountain biking out our back door. Beautiful area ✔
It sounds cool to live here, provided you have all the essential necessities.
Really enjoyed this video!
Thanks
It is an awesome site, much more to see there, plan to camp and stay a couple of days to see it all.
Great new content. I am from New Mexico and have been to the site twice in my life. I have also had friends in the National Park Service that have worked there and have said there are many ruins that are being studied that the public has no idea about. As always another great episode and please keep doing what you do.
The ceremonial "pits/rooms" and there placement made me think of Gobekli tepe. Great vid! Keep it up.
👍
Excellent point!
I was just going to make the same comment! 🤓
When I see you have posted I think yes I'm off to learn something new today. See I never heard of this place amazing
Awesome video. I must check this place out.
Kiva=Earth naval. A place of reverence for honoring our mother, the Earth. It was usually built over a site of strong natural energy that emerges from within the Earth and is produced throughout the world.
Exactly! 😊
"Thank You"
From Tejas 👣
Yes, more videos on this topic would be welcomed.
check out old arizona highways magazines
THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!!! I have visited the cave dwellings in manitou Colorado and they have the same exact ceremonial pit and sipapu! Ancient people were very interesting.
Never heard of this place! Thanks
Been there, mind blowing place.
And please, do a video on Sego and Horseshoe Canyon. They have some truly magical panels that will conjure up great conversation and wonderment.
I love that you gave us a little two min video on just images without talking. So many youtubers need to hear themselves talk but not you, you just want to show us cool shit.
Chaco canyon is absolutely fantastic.
👍
I grew up very near Mesa Verde and went on school field trips to it. I have been to it several times as an adult as well. Just so you know, it i pronounced mesa (you got that right (may-sa), it means table in spanish), verde, ver-day (spanish for green, the green table). You used to be able to go through a bunch of tunnels when you visited there, if you fit (some tunnels were very narrow so you had to be relatively skinny to fit through) and one was pretty much a one way journey. There were ladders pecked into the stone cliff going both up and down. Going up is where they farmed, on top of the cliff, and going down to get water. They wove watertight baskets to carry water.
This is a very cool place to go see if you are around the area.
Love your videos and I like all the research.
Chaco Canyon just south of Mesa Verde in north central New Mexico is just as intriguing. Would love to see a video about that
Interesting video..Thank you
Great vidieo. Must visit there. Thank you
👍
Thanks for sharing...
I really like the ancient americas. So much is unknown. Thanks from Orlando Florida
Thanks for watching
I stay 92 their.. A Faszinaded Monument 🙏
I went there back in the Summer of 2015. It was a awesome sight, there’s a spot before you go on the tour where you can see the dwellings as well as see the Rockies from many miles away
Anasazi is a navajo word that means the ancient ones or the ancient enemies. According to pueblos they don't actually like the name anasazi due to the association with them being enemies of the Navajo.
Thanks for the insight
Its true. The enemies of Ancestors. A term that causes a lot of confusion here in the southwest.
@@UllysesGordon Right. As I understand it, since the Navajos now live in the area,the early archaeologists asked them "Who built these?" and they answered factually, our "ancient enemies" = "anasazi."
I don't know if the Pueblos have a specific name to refer to the Chaco culture, except that they do certainly acknowledge them as ancestors. They may have a lot of stories about that time in their history, and even much further back in time as well, including other epic migrations.
Always wanted to see Cliff tree house but did visit Spruce tree house. The tour guide let me grind some corn on one of the pieces of artifacts that were there. I was in 4th grade it was really cool!!!!!
Another fascinating Video. The only ancient American site I've visited is the earthen mound and pyramid complex at Cahokia, Il. You are good at giving more and better information than most of the tour guides I've had, and with visuals as good as most that I've taken myself. Keep up the excellent and very entertaining work.
Thank you very much