TravelAwaits
Jul.20.2021
At the foot of the unmistakable silhouette of the Mesa Verde land formation, the small town of Cortez in Colorado lies among the richest archaeological centers of the U.S. Southwest. Steeped in the history of the Ancestral Puebloan people, Cortez offers a glimpse into their lives through the surrounding sites, from the world-famous Mesa Verde to Crow Canyon, and small sites you’ve never heard of.
In the center of it all, Cortez offers the best base for exploring them while learning about the ancient people who lived in the Four Corners area. Though I have visited the area often over the years, I still find new things to discover every time.
But the most characteristic of all Pueblo dwellings are their cliff houses. These unique dwellings are perfectly designed to offer both defense from enemies and defense from the elements. With a range of elaborate houses skillfully built into the cliff faces, the Puebloans utilized the very best that this arid region had to offer. The cool surface of the stone and the shade it provided was essential for success in the heat of the summer. One of the great examples of this characteristic Pueblo architecture is located at Mule Canyon in Utah.
The unique architecture of the Ancestral Pueblo peoples found at Mule Canyon in Utah utilized the best the arid region had to offer. (