The black markings on the cliff wall are from soot. This dwelling is called Fire House Ruins, and would have been where ancient people worshiped and priests kept a perpetual fire burning. This dwelling, and many others that were carved into the sides of cliffs, make up Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. To appreciate the beauty of this place, one must step back and view the area from a distance. This view of Spruce Tree House gives a better idea of just how precarious life was in these homes. They really are built into the cliffs. Juli wonders at the daily life in these places. Did the people who live there ever feel grass beneath their toes? I am sure those who were young and strong did indeed climb the small footholds leading to the mesa top so they could hunt and farm, but I am sure many never left the dwellings. They lived their lives looking out at a world far beyond their reach.
It's interesting, one reads fiction about societies that live trapped in smallish worlds they can't escape from - it's hard to remember that it was the reality for some! (and even might be the case today, although not necessarily physically trapped on a ledge like that)
ReplyDelete