Mesa Verde
Mesa Verde is a very important landmark in the United States, which is a huge national reserve with a total area of 211 km. The park was established in 1906 on the territory of the U.S. state of Colorado. It also holds its place of honor in the UNESCO Heritage Registers.
Translated into Russian, Mesa Verde sounds like the "Green Table", which is associated with the huge plateau located nearby. The main purpose of creating the national park is to preserve the traces of the ancient Anasazi Indian settlement that lived in this place at least 800 years ago. About a million travelers rush to see the remains of an ancient civilization every year.
As archaeological research tells us, these lands were inhabited by Indians more than 1.5 thousand years ago. They gradually settled down, turning modest dugouts into a wonderful city on the cliffs. But about 700 years ago, the Indians had to leave their homes because the local conditions did not match (there was a very long drought).
One of the first Europeans to set foot on this land were the Spaniards, who tried to find their way to California from New Mexico. These events date back to the second half of the 18th century. The name of this area, Mesa Verde, was first mentioned by them.
The ancient settlement itself, which attracts many tourists nowadays, was discovered in the 19th century. American hunters, as well as the expedition, were aware of it many times, but the US government was in no hurry to take any action to protect archaeological values. But when Gustav Nordenskiold began studying Mesa Verde in the 90s of the same century, and was able to convey the importance of this territory, the situation changed. After the publication of his research, this historical monument became known all over the world.
After Mesa Verde was declared a National Park, various reconstruction and conservation works were actively carried out here, which were built over 1,000 years ago by Native American tribes.
The Mesa Verde National Park accommodates many structures, among which the Cliff Palace stands out, which was built for about 70 years. It was designed for about 100 people, as it accommodates exactly that many living spaces, and it also houses twenty-three round platforms and other structures, including towers. It is known from research that there were people in this complex who had a special status. There is an archaeological museum near this famous palace, which also attracts a lot of attention from visitors.
A fairly large number of different ancient exhibits are presented here for review, among which ceramics are of particular value. The Indian tribe was also engaged in weaving various products, among which amazing baskets were preserved.
