President Theodore Roosevelt established Mesa Verde National Park on June 29, 1906. This unique national park, the first of its kind, was created to “preserve the works of man.” Because of Roosevelt's foresight, the culture of ancestral peoples who created the mysterious cliff dwellings is preserved for all to appreciate.

The "Ancient Ones"

Even today researchers work to learn more about the Anasazi or “ancient ones” who created the amazing structures still in existence. Because scientists now know that these peoples were actually the ancestors of not only some Navajo but also most of the tribes living in the southwest. These “ancient ones” are now referred to as the Ancestral Puebloans.

Ancestral Peubloans

The Ancestral Puebloans moved onto the mesa around A.D. 500, but the cliff dwellings we see today were actually built around A.D. 1200. Though the Ancestral Puebloans lived along the cliffs for that 700 year period, the cliff dwellings were constructed at the end of this time frame and then only lived in for about 75-100 years. No exact reason is known for the Ancestral Puebloans move away from these massive structures.

Interesting Facts

• Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America.
• The average lifespan of cliff dwellers was 32-34 years.
• Men's heights were ~5’4-5’5; women's 5’-5’1.
• About 50% of children died before age 5.
• Three primary construction materials make up the cliff dwellings: sandstone, mortar, wooden beams.
• Ancestral Puebloan farmers used terracing.
• The unfinished Sun Temple’s walls were 11-14 feet high!
• Descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans include the Hopi, located in Arizona, and 19 Rio Grande pueblos of New Mexico.