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My tribe among many others throughout the southwest US you see present day originated from here. I am from Ohkay Owingeh, Pueblo. Which translates to “Place of the Strong People.” My Tewa name is Kho Pín which translates to “Buffalo Mountain” This is our original home and glad to see content covered by this!
How did you receive your name? What were your traditions? I’m fascinated! I’ve been entranced by Native American history since I was 16. I’m now 40. I grew up in nez perce country which I’ve researched endlessly but I’m very interested in your story!
I visited Mesa Verde in 1994 - it blew my mind. It's magnificent and eerie and just beautiful. One fact that hit home though was how relatively recent (to an English person) this is - I overheard an American lady say '1275', and I said 'my favourite pub was built in 1275' (Strines Inn, Peak District). But what a world apart... a lonely English moors way-side inn for travellers, vs an entire community in a frightening landscape of canyons and buzzards. Hard lives on both sides. Anyway you look at it, Mesa Verde is something worth seeing, and the surrounding countryside is epic and awe-inspiring! You've made me want to go over there again.
Eerie is a great word! It was beautiful/mystical but it made me uncomfortable walking the trails around the area. Something unsettling about the place, super interesting
@@MacKennaTheGoddessofRadiation I so desperately wanted to get as far as New Mexico but we hired an RV from Denver and travelled round for 2 weeks, we got down to Mesa Verde but didn't dare go further in case we hadn't left enough time to get back! One day though, one day, I'll be back!
@@rowdymays9078 Yes! We were the same. It felt like a place for quiet reflection. We moved away from the touristy lookout points, it felt wrong, and just went for walks around on our own. I was also happier viewing the dwellings from afar, I had no desire to go traipsing round them in a tourist group. It really is a very special area if you just chill out and let the atmosphere sink in. x
Nice to hear an English chap give me a history lesson on my own neighborhood. No but really great video, and if anybody wants to come visit, it's beautiful!
Not quite my neighborhood, but I'm a Colorado native from Frisco and one of my best memories from childhood was taking a multi-day field trip to Mesa Verde. Such a great place!
A few other facts I remember from my visit: 1. They had a natural water spring at the back of the cave that is pretty neat to see. 2. The dates of building of individual buildings were determined from the rings in the type of tree used in building. 3. They had to carry supplies in on some scary “ladders”
Me, too! My pops was a geologist so we went all over the west rockhounding, fossil hunting and checking out museums and archeological sites; it was as much fun as a little boy could ask for lol. Can't wait until my son is old enough to do it all over again!
For anyone interested in visiting the site you'll want to go sooner rather than later as every year more and more of the site gets closed off due to decay.
You missed an important aspect of desert home building. The fact that they were located under these South facing rims meant that they got full sun in the cold winter months and full shade in the summer as the sun moved overhead. Our desert house has a South facing gallery all the way across the upper floor that does the same thing. We rarely have to turn on the heat and do not turn on the air until it is ninety five degrees or higher.
My Grand parents took me there 40+ years ago. As so many others here attest, it is definitely a place that leaves a lasting impression and wonder. Especially on a young person.
There's no pictures or videos that can give the scale and depth of this place justice. The climb on that 30 ft ladder as a preteen was intense and incredible. Such an amazing experience and totally beautiful!
The video didn't really stress the genius of the location of the Cliff Palace and other cliff dwellings. They had previously lived in pit houses on top of the mesas with the freezing wind blowing. Some suffered from arthritis as evidenced by the crutches they left behind. The genius is that the buildings are shaded by the cliff overhang in the summer and warmed by the sun in the winter with the cliff back blocking the freezing north wind. The spring in the back of the village was a big bonus.
1:25 - Chapter 1 - The basketmakers 4:40 - Chapter 2 - Palace of stone 7:55 - Mid roll ads 9:25 - Chapter 3 - Bygone world 13:45 - Chapter 4 - The great migration 17:35 - Chapter 5 - Remembrance of things past - Chapter 6 -
I enjoyed visiting Mesa Verde so much that I bought a book of art, reproductions of wall art found in the ruins and now have a tattoo to commemorate my visit. Being of native American ancestry myself (Blackfoot) it means a lot. The place is incredible. Great job...
This was a pretty good presentation Simon, my hat is off to you. There is much smaller cliff dwellings in southern New Mexico called Gila Cliff Dwellings Monument located in Gila Wilderness area. These dwelling were built by the Mogollon culture.
Although I'd see photos of Mesa Verde as a kid, when I finally got to visit a few years ago, I can say my jaw dropped nearly the depth of the canyon. No photo you'll ever see will quite live up to the experience of seeing these amazing structures with sheer cliffs above and below them. Since then I've made an effort to visit more of the ruins around the southwest: Canyon De Chelly, Wupatki, Walnut Canyon and some others. Their accomplishments are some of the most awe inspiring in all of history. I cannot recommend seeing Mesa Verde in person enough. In fact, I think I'm due for another visit next summer...
@@timothy2935 it is a National Park. Well maintained roads and trails to some of the ruins. Not an easy hike UP from the ruins. Moderate, uphill. And beautiful. There are more cliff houses than just the one shown here. Bring binoculars. They are all around the canyons. Modern facilities available.
Great job covering this wonderful topic in a respectful and sensible manner guided by good science. I can tell you did your research. I've to this beautiful ruin, and to Chaco Canyon as well. Amazing places to visit, and I agree, you can definitely feel the spirits all around. Definitely suggest a visit, but go with reverence and respect please. Thanks again
Your videos on ancient structures/cities are always my favourites, actually they were the reason why I subscribed to you at all and then started watching your other channels. The narration and the way you present it makes the whole story feel mysterious and monumental, like I was the explorer seeing the abandoned city for the first time in ages. Please! More!
I just visited Mesa Verde this past June. Unfortunately Cliff Palace was closed due to road construction, so you cannot go down to visit. But if you take the 700 years tour, you still see it in distance.
Mesa Verde is an amazing place. Cliff Palace is absolutely something you should see. But be aware you have to be able to walk on rock staircases with uneven steps, up high if the ground. It’s very safe but if you are afraid of heights it can take ignoring where you are. We stayed in a cabin on the Mesa and in the morning we looked out the glass doors and saw deer just wandering among the cabins. If you go visit, make sure that you visit the Four Corners marker. It is the only place in the country where four states meet. Yes, it is just a marker in the ground but where else can you stand in 4 states at once.
I've been there! Tremendous place. The steps and entryways FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps put in there were another fascinating relic-some very rough work in places.
6:53 The Finnish word "kiva" translates to "nice". Most definitely a coincidence but I suppose the shared family space could be a nice place to be :). Well, depends on your family :D.
I was lucky enough to go there as a kid growing up in Colorado on a field trip it truly is something to behold like it's really amazing you can't comprehend how truly astonishing it is until you actually see it with your own eyes because it's small by no means it's actually huge and it's close to cave of the winds and the dinosaur national monument which are also awesome areas in Colorado and there's garden of the gods which has a bunch of really cool stuff in it too Colorado actually has a ton of awesome things to see oh and seven falls that was totally amazing in the winter
we have something like this right next to Roosevelt lake in Arizona. I want to visit these now. o visited in the middle of summer and as soon as I stepped inside the cutout in the mountain it went from 115 degrees to 75 INSTANTLY. one of the coolest feelings I've ever felt.
A friend and I came across this park as we drove by on a long road trip in 1991. Having been to many great places on this trip, like Yellowstone and Arches NP, Mesa Verde was a standout. I spent a lot of time transfixed - wondering what it must have been like to live there at the time they did. I would have loved to spend the night there - but that's not possible. On another big road trip 15 years later - this time all by myself, I made sure I returned there. I would like to see it again!
I went there last year as part of my summer vacation. It was pretty amazing to see up close. Glad to see you have a video about it. There are a lot of cliff dwellings in Colorado. It's pretty amazing to see how people used to live and that these places are preserved.
Honestly it looks like a model in person. The settlement they actually let you walk in is far more easily appreciated. The cannibal/kiva angle is hella interesting.
It is great to see the ancient history of the First Nations beside the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. So often the rest of pre-European history is overlooked.
Well, in the sense that it‘s pre-historic, i.e. from an earlier period than any written record, it is actually ancient, even if it‘s contemporary with the middle ages in Europe.
@@kathidubach that’s one way to look at it but that’s like saying studying isolated tribes in the Amazon is the study of ancient history. As they have no knowledge of writing or record keeping.
Didn't talk about the "stairs" - hand- and foot-holds cut into the sheer cliff going up the walls BESIDE these cliff houses to the table-lands above...I used to free-climb as a kid (I grew up in the mountains fairly near here), and I'm not afraid of heights, but I'd hesitate to climb those (not sure I wouldn't have tried as a kid, though). Another interesting thing is the acoustics in the canyon; you can talk in one section, and can be heard fairly clearly from over a hundred meters away.
I liked this video but at about 7:15 you said the Kivas were open to the sky and used by each family. Kivas were roofed over and used mainly for religious purposes which were kept hidden from all but the members of that Kiva.
Thankyou for presenting this piece of history from the viewpoint of the historic people and structures and not with the view of, the "white man" who came along later and claimed, "look what I found ", as if it hadn't existed prior to that moment. I am one of those "white men" who should've gone back to Europe and then asked for permission to come to North, Central, and South America's and visit. I am not a native of Colorado, but I've lived here for 50 years. I have had to learn how to respect the world around me. Thx so much
I was there in 1973. My whole family couldn't see it because you had to use ladders for access? I think there was a modern staircase to get down, but I do remember climbing a ladder up. You couldn't enter the buildings, but walk around everything else. Made a huge impression on me that I'll never forget.
This is an amazing place been there many times. I have been to the Colorado Springs cliff dwellings as well. It awesome history!! Thanks for the video I love your channels. The fact that you did a video on my state is the 👌.
I remember visiting there a number of years ago and it was a really great experience. It's already mind-blowing anyway, but I can't imagine what it would have been like to actually stumble across it unexpectedly like the people you mentioned that were looking for lost cattle.
Very close to home for me! Linda Lay Schuler wrote a beautiful trilogy that started at Mesa Verde, She Who Remembers, Voice of the Eagle, and Let The Drum Speak. I started with the third book, which is set near Cahokia, though I was thrilled with all the references to home.
The four corners region, mesa verde, and the Pueblos, remind me of everything I love and miss about the southwest. The PNW is great, but I miss the desert
In 2003 there was a massive drought in Colorado that explains this. Places ran COMPLETELY out of water. What do you do then? The people left so much behind because they didn't intend to stay gone, but they did.
I visited when I was 5 years old, and it's stuck with me to this day. It's a magnificent place, and i have many memories from the tour and what I was taught there even though I was so young. I'd love to revisit again someday now that I'm older.
A good Geographics episode about Native Americans city is Acoma Pueblo (Sky City), New Mexico. It is believed to be the oldest (or at least 2nd oldest, but up for debate) active city in America. The Native Americans still live mostly like they did in 1200 and when the city was first built above a mesa and largely keep the same traditions they have for centuries! People still live in mud and stone Pueblo's. When you visit the town it's like being transformed to be Columbus times! Although they do have electricity and some modern conveniences, it's still very much like it was 800 years ago!
technically the word “pueblo” translates literary to“town” and “aldea” would be the word for “village”. as used in the New Spain (today Mexico and US south border states).
thank you for this video. Native American culture has been so neglected and belittled. Still, so few know or care about Native American history. i.e. Americans (and Canadians). what tribes were from the area you live in now? they spent 1-2 days on it when you were in school.
In the late 1960's when I was 8-10 years old you could walk in the buildings and there was a secrete passage you could crawl through that had a hidden space. The guide said a person could sit in the hidden space to see who was passing through and if they were an intruder they would hit them on the head drag them out to be thrown over the edge!! Thirty years later took my son to see it, people were no longer allowed to walk in the buildings or the tunnel. It is an amazing place to visit. The exit up the tall ladders though....not for the faint of heart.
I visited this when I was 12 and it was unbelievably incredible. You can't go near it and there are plaques up apologising for how the ancient holy places were trespassed by the "discoverers" and explaining what the native peoples of the area want the narrative to be, as well ss infographics on the stuff that Simon also outlined. That said, they do still refer to the people of this land as "Indians" so maybe not quite there yet.....
Sometimes I hope they actually close off access one day. The few that are disrespectful do too much damage to this and other sites. From the vandalism a few years ago at Mesa Verde to people tipping over rock formations at Goblin Valley State Park and so many other instances. It's truly sad.
Took a trip there 3 years ago. It's an amazing place to see. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history of the americas. Also be on the lookout for wild horses. It took 3 days to see everything.
People who can make a home in a place like that were certainly very smart people, though a shame they didn't stay there to keep it thriving, but that happens in many places, abandoned due to many reasons which become seemingly unknown...
Haha I didn't know we in Finland refused to return the artifacts until 2019. Didn't even know the artifacts existed before this video. God damn, even we managed to be assholes for original America.
..aztec New Mexico just south of there has some pretty cool ancient puebloan villages as well..i used to live in farmington new mexico which is on the Navajo reservation in the four corners region..apache natives also have a presence there.. ..the pueblos have their rez's closer to albuquerque in groups known as isleta, sandia, laguna and a few more ..but the whole state of new mexico is like one big archeological site ..yet even more towards the four corner area..its pretty much all reservation over there with shiprock as one of the pillars..
I like to follow historical information, especially North American, and thought I was mostly just going over the same stuff maybe learning more info I hadn’t pick up previously. But I had never heard of this before. This is amazing.
I've always felt quite lucky growing up where I did, almost every year school trips to the Denver museum of nature and science or the Denver aquarium or the Denver zoo (all ours for the day. Idk how the school did it.), mesa Verde and cave of winds. So many amazing places full of facts and history! I'm also glad we kinda knew these were special things and just soaked it all up instead of messing around(private schools can be scary when the teacher gets actually mad lol)
Something to bear in mind: You're not going to build your house, let alone a city, on your limited farmland. You need to reserve every square foot of that limited fertile area for farming. So, you build your houses in the side of the cliff. Or if you're Austrian, on the side of the mountain. My husband's half-Austrian, from an isolated U-shaped glacial valley. All of the useful farmland is at the valley floor. And if you look where all of the old houses are, they're build right onto the slopes of the mountains just above the valley floor. First time I saw a house and a barn like that, I thought, “Wow. Not located there for the view, but to conserve farmland.” Hence why I now think that the location chosen by the cliff-dwelling Ancestral Puebloans was in part to keep the tops of the mesas clear for farming. Also doesn't hurt that it's in the shade, as another comment below points out.
I’m from Colorado, I’ve only ever heard of these Pueblo people being referred to as Anasazi. Is that no longer politically correct? I realize that it simply means “ancient one’s” and was used because nobody knew what they were called anymore. Personally I like Anasazi better. I hope that in a thousand year nobody digs up my bones and dubs me “Apartment person”.
"Anasazi" is a Diné (Navajo) word that more or less translates as ancient enemy or enemy ancestors. It is not a Puebloan word. Understandably, modern Puebloan people object to having their ancestors defined this way. I don't know what words modern Puebloan people use to identify their ancestors.
SIMON!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do a Geographics on Devils Tower in the US! It's such a great geological wonder. An extinct volcano from millions of years ago.
Thousands of years from now, perhaps when future generations decide to examine the past; they’ll do enough extensive and intensive excavations to determine what exactly causes a given incident.
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Since you have covered most of the nuclear disasters on this channel, why don't you consider covering Three Mile Island?
Could you cover the Indus River Valley Civilization next, please?
My tribe among many others throughout the southwest US you see present day originated from here.
I am from Ohkay Owingeh, Pueblo. Which translates to “Place of the Strong People.” My Tewa name is Kho Pín which translates to “Buffalo Mountain” This is our original home and glad to see content covered by this!
How did you receive your name? What were your traditions? I’m fascinated! I’ve been entranced by Native American history since I was 16. I’m now 40. I grew up in nez perce country which I’ve researched endlessly but I’m very interested in your story!
Do you know why they left the region ?
@@yt.personal.identification he should ask his great great great great great great great great great great grandpa
@@Bri-no9yq Maybe he already told someone, and the story has survived.
Why do I even need to explain that?
@@yt.personal.identification :|
I visited Mesa Verde in 1994 - it blew my mind. It's magnificent and eerie and just beautiful. One fact that hit home though was how relatively recent (to an English person) this is - I overheard an American lady say '1275', and I said 'my favourite pub was built in 1275' (Strines Inn, Peak District). But what a world apart... a lonely English moors way-side inn for travellers, vs an entire community in a frightening landscape of canyons and buzzards. Hard lives on both sides. Anyway you look at it, Mesa Verde is something worth seeing, and the surrounding countryside is epic and awe-inspiring! You've made me want to go over there again.
If you ever come back, go to New Mexico as well. Chaco Canyon is there and it's thought to be where they had originated from
Eerie is a great word! It was beautiful/mystical but it made me uncomfortable walking the trails around the area. Something unsettling about the place, super interesting
@@MacKennaTheGoddessofRadiation I so desperately wanted to get as far as New Mexico but we hired an RV from Denver and travelled round for 2 weeks, we got down to Mesa Verde but didn't dare go further in case we hadn't left enough time to get back! One day though, one day, I'll be back!
@@rowdymays9078 Yes! We were the same. It felt like a place for quiet reflection. We moved away from the touristy lookout points, it felt wrong, and just went for walks around on our own. I was also happier viewing the dwellings from afar, I had no desire to go traipsing round them in a tourist group. It really is a very special area if you just chill out and let the atmosphere sink in. x
@@catsandcrafts171:D
I wish you luck. Want to go again with friends one day.
Maybe well see one another
Nice to hear an English chap give me a history lesson on my own neighborhood. No but really great video, and if anybody wants to come visit, it's beautiful!
Not quite my neighborhood, but I'm a Colorado native from Frisco and one of my best memories from childhood was taking a multi-day field trip to Mesa Verde. Such a great place!
I cant learn anything anymore unless its told to me in a moderately posh British accent.
Colorado Springs checking in.
To be fair it's probably written by a yank
I’m from Alamosa!! I love this.
A few other facts I remember from my visit: 1. They had a natural water spring at the back of the cave that is pretty neat to see. 2. The dates of building of individual buildings were determined from the rings in the type of tree used in building. 3. They had to carry supplies in on some scary “ladders”
I swear, Simon, that quote, at the end, gave me goosebumps.
Thank you for all your hard work. Please never stop making these videos.
I took a tour of this place as a kid with my dad and brother. Had a blast and thought it was so freaking interesting.
I actually live in Colorado so I've been there a few times and it always amazes me to see
Me, too! My pops was a geologist so we went all over the west rockhounding, fossil hunting and checking out museums and archeological sites; it was as much fun as a little boy could ask for lol. Can't wait until my son is old enough to do it all over again!
I just went through montana Wyoming south Dakota, and Oregon on a road trip. The mid west has so much cool history, it's amazing.
For anyone interested in visiting the site you'll want to go sooner rather than later as every year more and more of the site gets closed off due to decay.
Thankfully there's still overlooks at the top of the plateau to view the ruins. It's not the same as the guided tours, but it still is amazing.
Beautifully made vid mate. Another reason to respect Teddy Roosevelt, and his decision to protect natural American land. cheers from Texas
“Basketmaker III” *This time, it’s personal*
Coming to a rock hut near you, 550AD
I thought the franchise lost its steam after basketmaker II
Ricky Gervais fan?
You missed an important aspect of desert home building. The fact that they were located under these South facing rims meant that they got full sun in the cold winter months and full shade in the summer as the sun moved overhead. Our desert house has a South facing gallery all the way across the upper floor that does the same thing. We rarely have to turn on the heat and do not turn on the air until it is ninety five degrees or higher.
My Grand parents took me there 40+ years ago. As so many others here attest, it is definitely a place that leaves a lasting impression and wonder. Especially on a young person.
Yup... Last time I saw it was the summer of 1981... I'd been there several times before, but that last trip left a greater impression...
There's no pictures or videos that can give the scale and depth of this place justice. The climb on that 30 ft ladder as a preteen was intense and incredible. Such an amazing experience and totally beautiful!
The video didn't really stress the genius of the location of the Cliff Palace and other cliff dwellings. They had previously lived in pit houses on top of the mesas with the freezing wind blowing. Some suffered from arthritis as evidenced by the crutches they left behind. The genius is that the buildings are shaded by the cliff overhang in the summer and warmed by the sun in the winter with the cliff back blocking the freezing north wind. The spring in the back of the village was a big bonus.
1:25 - Chapter 1 - The basketmakers
4:40 - Chapter 2 - Palace of stone
7:55 - Mid roll ads
9:25 - Chapter 3 - Bygone world
13:45 - Chapter 4 - The great migration
17:35 - Chapter 5 - Remembrance of things past
- Chapter 6 -
Doing gawds work!
Thanks
I enjoyed visiting Mesa Verde so much that I bought a book of art, reproductions of wall art found in the ruins and now have a tattoo to commemorate my visit. Being of native American ancestry myself (Blackfoot) it means a lot. The place is incredible. Great job...
Mesa Verde and Choco Canyon are absolutely amazing and beautiful.
Really nice touch ending the video with a quote from a native descendant. Cool video.
It's so funny hearing Simon mention Frank Lloyd Wright just casually, esp after listening to the brain blaze where he had no idea 🤣🤣🤣🤣
This was a pretty good presentation Simon, my hat is off to you. There is much smaller cliff dwellings in southern New Mexico called Gila Cliff Dwellings Monument located in Gila Wilderness area. These dwelling were built by the Mogollon culture.
Although I'd see photos of Mesa Verde as a kid, when I finally got to visit a few years ago, I can say my jaw dropped nearly the depth of the canyon. No photo you'll ever see will quite live up to the experience of seeing these amazing structures with sheer cliffs above and below them. Since then I've made an effort to visit more of the ruins around the southwest: Canyon De Chelly, Wupatki, Walnut Canyon and some others. Their accomplishments are some of the most awe inspiring in all of history. I cannot recommend seeing Mesa Verde in person enough. In fact, I think I'm due for another visit next summer...
Unlike most places reviewed on Geographics, I've actually been to Cliff Palace and its very much worth a visit.
I drove there in 2020. The place blew me away. Definitely worth a visit!
What are the roads like ? Are they well maintained , any big poy holes ?
@@timothy2935 it is a National Park. Well maintained roads and trails to some of the ruins. Not an easy hike UP from the ruins. Moderate, uphill. And beautiful. There are more cliff houses than just the one shown here. Bring binoculars. They are all around the canyons. Modern facilities available.
@@timothy2935
The roads were good enough and paved. There are a few potholes along the way. It takes about 1.5 hours to drive there from silver city.
@@TehMorbidAtheist Silver City is about 9 hours away in New Mexico, did you mean Silverton Colorado?
Great job covering this wonderful topic in a respectful and sensible manner guided by good science. I can tell you did your research. I've to this beautiful ruin, and to Chaco Canyon as well. Amazing places to visit, and I agree, you can definitely feel the spirits all around. Definitely suggest a visit, but go with reverence and respect please. Thanks again
Your videos on ancient structures/cities are always my favourites, actually they were the reason why I subscribed to you at all and then started watching your other channels. The narration and the way you present it makes the whole story feel mysterious and monumental, like I was the explorer seeing the abandoned city for the first time in ages. Please! More!
I just visited Mesa Verde this past June. Unfortunately Cliff Palace was closed due to road construction, so you cannot go down to visit. But if you take the 700 years tour, you still see it in distance.
Mesa Verde is an amazing place.
Cliff Palace is absolutely something you should see. But be aware you have to be able to walk on rock staircases with uneven steps, up high if the ground. It’s very safe but if you are afraid of heights it can take ignoring where you are.
We stayed in a cabin on the Mesa and in the morning we looked out the glass doors and saw deer just wandering among the cabins.
If you go visit, make sure that you visit the Four Corners marker. It is the only place in the country where four states meet. Yes, it is just a marker in the ground but where else can you stand in 4 states at once.
I've been there! Tremendous place. The steps and entryways FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps put in there were another fascinating relic-some very rough work in places.
Hey look! The Western Air Temple!
6:53 The Finnish word "kiva" translates to "nice". Most definitely a coincidence but I suppose the shared family space could be a nice place to be :). Well, depends on your family :D.
I was lucky enough to go there as a kid growing up in Colorado on a field trip it truly is something to behold like it's really amazing you can't comprehend how truly astonishing it is until you actually see it with your own eyes because it's small by no means it's actually huge and it's close to cave of the winds and the dinosaur national monument which are also awesome areas in Colorado and there's garden of the gods which has a bunch of really cool stuff in it too Colorado actually has a ton of awesome things to see oh and seven falls that was totally amazing in the winter
Actually, you're thinking of the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, which are much much smaller. Cliff Palace is in Mesa Verde, near Durango CO.
we have something like this right next to Roosevelt lake in Arizona. I want to visit these now. o visited in the middle of summer and as soon as I stepped inside the cutout in the mountain it went from 115 degrees to 75 INSTANTLY. one of the coolest feelings I've ever felt.
A friend and I came across this park as we drove by on a long road trip in 1991. Having been to many great places on this trip, like Yellowstone and Arches NP, Mesa Verde was a standout. I spent a lot of time transfixed - wondering what it must have been like to live there at the time they did. I would have loved to spend the night there - but that's not possible. On another big road trip 15 years later - this time all by myself, I made sure I returned there. I would like to see it again!
I went there last year as part of my summer vacation. It was pretty amazing to see up close. Glad to see you have a video about it. There are a lot of cliff dwellings in Colorado. It's pretty amazing to see how people used to live and that these places are preserved.
Honestly it looks like a model in person. The settlement they actually let you walk in is far more easily appreciated. The cannibal/kiva angle is hella interesting.
It is great to see the ancient history of the First Nations beside the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. So often the rest of pre-European history is overlooked.
A few hundred years is not ancient history.
This really isn’t ancient. There are cathedrals older than this place
Still amazing but not ancient
Well, in the sense that it‘s pre-historic, i.e. from an earlier period than any written record, it is actually ancient, even if it‘s contemporary with the middle ages in Europe.
@@kathidubach that’s one way to look at it but that’s like saying studying isolated tribes in the Amazon is the study of ancient history. As they have no knowledge of writing or record keeping.
Searching for "missing cattle", said every cattle rustler everywhere. 😂
I live in Denver, Colorado and ive only been to this place once! its amazing and very breathtaking
I live about an hour away from the cliff dwellings. Chaco canyon is really cool too.
Same here! I live near Durango lol
Didn't talk about the "stairs" - hand- and foot-holds cut into the sheer cliff going up the walls BESIDE these cliff houses to the table-lands above...I used to free-climb as a kid (I grew up in the mountains fairly near here), and I'm not afraid of heights, but I'd hesitate to climb those (not sure I wouldn't have tried as a kid, though). Another interesting thing is the acoustics in the canyon; you can talk in one section, and can be heard fairly clearly from over a hundred meters away.
Manitou cliff dwellings near Colorado Springs. I saw them from the highway. Very similar, and they are explorable.
I saw it in the winter time with snow… it was so beautiful
Visited in 1992, still my favorite National Park to this day.
I liked this video but at about 7:15 you said the Kivas were open to the sky and used by each family. Kivas were roofed over and used mainly for religious purposes which were kept hidden from all but the members of that Kiva.
They remind me of the way the cisterns were built at Masada.
I love your videos!🙏🤗❤️
Excellently done video! Cliff Palace is a wondrous and fascinating place.
Thankyou for presenting this piece of history from the viewpoint of the historic people and structures and not with the view of, the "white man" who came along later and claimed, "look what I found ", as if it hadn't existed prior to that moment. I am one of those "white men" who should've gone back to Europe and then asked for permission to come to North, Central, and South America's and visit. I am not a native of Colorado, but I've lived here for 50 years. I have had to learn how to respect the world around me.
Thx so much
"Wow! This is the coolest thing I've ever seen! Go get the dynamite!" People are insane.
Right? Thankfully, enough of us oppose that behavior that it's not as common anymore.
I absolutely love when you do videos in Colorado ❤️🤠
Ive been there it is amazing. I've also seen a similar structure in Canyon Dechelle in Arizona on the Navajo reservation on a school trip.
I was there in 1973. My whole family couldn't see it because you had to use ladders for access? I think there was a modern staircase to get down, but I do remember climbing a ladder up. You couldn't enter the buildings, but walk around everything else. Made a huge impression on me that I'll never forget.
This is an amazing place been there many times. I have been to the Colorado Springs cliff dwellings as well. It awesome history!! Thanks for the video I love your channels. The fact that you did a video on my state is the 👌.
Seeing this place in person is a true spectacle. Highly recommended to anyone.
I remember visiting there a number of years ago and it was a really great experience. It's already mind-blowing anyway, but I can't imagine what it would have been like to actually stumble across it unexpectedly like the people you mentioned that were looking for lost cattle.
That last quote was beautiful! Thanks for the video!
When I was a kid back in the late 60's you could just walk through the dwelling's as you pleased, I don't know if you still can.
Very close to home for me! Linda Lay Schuler wrote a beautiful trilogy that started at Mesa Verde, She Who Remembers, Voice of the Eagle, and Let The Drum Speak. I started with the third book, which is set near Cahokia, though I was thrilled with all the references to home.
The four corners region, mesa verde, and the Pueblos, remind me of everything I love and miss about the southwest. The PNW is great, but I miss the desert
I'm moving the Albuquerque in about 70 days. Can't wait
In 2003 there was a massive drought in Colorado that explains this. Places ran COMPLETELY out of water. What do you do then? The people left so much behind because they didn't intend to stay gone, but they did.
I visited when I was 5 years old, and it's stuck with me to this day. It's a magnificent place, and i have many memories from the tour and what I was taught there even though I was so young. I'd love to revisit again someday now that I'm older.
Simon is best boy ever, y'all need to give him a bald head buffing and make it even shinier
(change the y to i and add er) shinier
@@lynnmitzy1643 thank ya! Wasn't sure how to spell that one unfortunately
@@bvnbvng 😘🤗
Pretty certain his wife buffs him plenty enough already.
This whole area is absolutely spectacular. I was lucky enough to visit about a decade ago.
A good Geographics episode about Native Americans city is Acoma Pueblo (Sky City), New Mexico. It is believed to be the oldest (or at least 2nd oldest, but up for debate) active city in America. The Native Americans still live mostly like they did in 1200 and when the city was first built above a mesa and largely keep the same traditions they have for centuries! People still live in mud and stone Pueblo's. When you visit the town it's like being transformed to be Columbus times! Although they do have electricity and some modern conveniences, it's still very much like it was 800 years ago!
really interesting. I had no idea there were still places like this still in use.
America is a hemisphere luv. don't let European squatter offspring ignoramuses drive their rhetoric.
Chris here was highlighting how to say your a raging racist without saying you are a racist.
This place is really interesting to visit. It's well worth the journey.
I visited this area with my family on a road trip from Denver to San Diego, California.
Beautiful! I didn't know about this place
Still loving your stuff Simon. Keep on with the great work please.
Thanks
Oh yeah I visited this place when I went to America, sadly it was closed for repairs. So it’s cool to learn more stuff about it.
technically the word “pueblo” translates literary to“town” and “aldea” would be the word for “village”.
as used in the New Spain (today Mexico and US south border states).
It does look pretty cozy
thank you for this video. Native American culture has been so neglected and belittled. Still, so few know or care about Native American history. i.e. Americans (and Canadians). what tribes were from the area you live in now? they spent 1-2 days on it when you were in school.
In the late 1960's when I was 8-10 years old you could walk in the buildings and there was a secrete passage you could crawl through that had a hidden space. The guide said a person could sit in the hidden space to see who was passing through and if they were an intruder they would hit them on the head drag them out to be thrown over the edge!! Thirty years later took my son to see it, people were no longer allowed to walk in the buildings or the tunnel. It is an amazing place to visit. The exit up the tall ladders though....not for the faint of heart.
I visited this when I was 12 and it was unbelievably incredible. You can't go near it and there are plaques up apologising for how the ancient holy places were trespassed by the "discoverers" and explaining what the native peoples of the area want the narrative to be, as well ss infographics on the stuff that Simon also outlined.
That said, they do still refer to the people of this land as "Indians" so maybe not quite there yet.....
Sometimes I hope they actually close off access one day. The few that are disrespectful do too much damage to this and other sites. From the vandalism a few years ago at Mesa Verde to people tipping over rock formations at Goblin Valley State Park and so many other instances. It's truly sad.
i always learn something from you and your content
I am taking a “Indians of North America” class in college (I’m a History major) and Simon is spot on, great video!
I see this just about every day. So many interesting sites and things to do in that area.
I remember visiting there as a child. Was a pretty awesome experience!
Same here had a blast
It's so weird to see my stomping grounds on these videos. I used to pass Mesa Verde at least 4 times a week on my way between jobs.
Took a trip there 3 years ago. It's an amazing place to see. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history of the americas. Also be on the lookout for wild horses. It took 3 days to see everything.
Yes, 'balls out awesome' should be a formal scientific term.
I 100% agree!
Visited this back in the mid-70's. Very interesting.
The subtle shade of saying "people who use sane measurements". Lmao
We went there on vacation when I was a kid. It is amazing.
"Pretty soon though, those weaving skills where going to expand in spectacular new directions"
They conquered the planet with weaponized baskets?
People who can make a home in a place like that were certainly very smart people, though a shame they didn't stay there to keep it thriving, but that happens in many places, abandoned due to many reasons which become seemingly unknown...
Thanks for the video. The ancient wonders of North America are generally forgotten even by the people who live here.
Haha I didn't know we in Finland refused to return the artifacts until 2019. Didn't even know the artifacts existed before this video. God damn, even we managed to be assholes for original America.
..aztec New Mexico just south of there has some pretty cool ancient puebloan villages as well..i used to live in farmington new mexico which is on the Navajo reservation in the four corners region..apache natives also have a presence there..
..the pueblos have their rez's closer to albuquerque in groups known as isleta, sandia, laguna and a few more ..but the whole state of new mexico is like one big archeological site ..yet even more towards the four corner area..its pretty much all reservation over there with shiprock as one of the pillars..
I like to follow historical information, especially North American, and thought I was mostly just going over the same stuff maybe learning more info I hadn’t pick up previously. But I had never heard of this before. This is amazing.
I've always felt quite lucky growing up where I did, almost every year school trips to the Denver museum of nature and science or the Denver aquarium or the Denver zoo (all ours for the day. Idk how the school did it.), mesa Verde and cave of winds. So many amazing places full of facts and history! I'm also glad we kinda knew these were special things and just soaked it all up instead of messing around(private schools can be scary when the teacher gets actually mad lol)
I live across the highway from this place
Imagine if this settlement was never abandoned, how much bigger it could be today or how much more advanced the people would be.
Something to bear in mind: You're not going to build your house, let alone a city, on your limited farmland. You need to reserve every square foot of that limited fertile area for farming.
So, you build your houses in the side of the cliff. Or if you're Austrian, on the side of the mountain.
My husband's half-Austrian, from an isolated U-shaped glacial valley. All of the useful farmland is at the valley floor. And if you look where all of the old houses are, they're build right onto the slopes of the mountains just above the valley floor. First time I saw a house and a barn like that, I thought, “Wow. Not located there for the view, but to conserve farmland.”
Hence why I now think that the location chosen by the cliff-dwelling Ancestral Puebloans was in part to keep the tops of the mesas clear for farming. Also doesn't hurt that it's in the shade, as another comment below points out.
I’m from Colorado, I’ve only ever heard of these Pueblo people being referred to as Anasazi. Is that no longer politically correct? I realize that it simply means “ancient one’s” and was used because nobody knew what they were called anymore. Personally I like Anasazi better. I hope that in a thousand year nobody digs up my bones and dubs me “Apartment person”.
"Anasazi" is a Diné (Navajo) word that more or less translates as ancient enemy or enemy ancestors. It is not a Puebloan word. Understandably, modern Puebloan people object to having their ancestors defined this way. I don't know what words modern Puebloan people use to identify their ancestors.
When i went there last time they had to restrict access to the ruins cause theyd been damaged during memorial day
Acoma is also a fascinating place. Actively populated
SIMON!!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do a Geographics on Devils Tower in the US! It's such a great geological wonder. An extinct volcano from millions of years ago.
Good video 👍
Thousands of years from now, perhaps when future generations decide to examine the past; they’ll do enough extensive and intensive excavations to determine what exactly causes a given incident.