Southwestern Ruins

Cliff Palace ruin at Mesa Verde is one of the largest and best preserved Anasazi ruins. More than a hundred people lived here at one time. The ladder leads into the largest kiva, which has been painted inside. A tower at this site (not shown) has abstract paintings inside that resemble weavings.

The Four Doors of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon. Actually, five doors are visible as the window above was probably a door when the ruin was intact.

Spruce Tree House Ruin on Cedar Mesa. Many Anasazi ruins have rock art within them and around them. It is believed that some of this art served as solar calendars.

When I visited this site, in the heat of mid-summer, there were two archaeologists working nearby. They had put sand on the floor of one of these rooms so people entering it would not damage the floor. There are more rooms behind these rooms.

In many places one sees where ruins used to exist but all that is left are tumbled rocks, if that. Not much is left of this one, likely because water dripping from the overhanging cliff wall has contributed to its deterioration.