1/15/2024 0 Comments Soul Cliff free downloads![]() ![]() The traditional archaeological approach to tracing human migration patterns is through architecture and pottery styles. Scott Ortman, top, at an arroyo in southwest Colorado Courtey Scott Ortman His work studying turkey bones, language and human remains landed him the prestigious Society for American Archaeology’s Dissertation Award in 2011. Scott Ortman found some of the first material evidence suggesting where Mesa Verde residents ended up. In the midst of a myriad of theories on this topic, University of Colorado Boulder professor Dr. But for 100 years, archaeologists have argued over the answer to the question, “Where did they go?” ![]() Studies show an extended drought may have played a role in pushing people out of the Mesa Verde region, in addition to societal issues like violence, politics and overcrowding. Others still appear to have been intentionally left, the ubiquitous kivas burned as a final farewell. Some villages show signs of their inhabitants meeting a violent end. Some homes were abandoned seemingly overnight. And then, by 1300, all evidence of people living there disappeared. A flourishing society built villages into the cliffs and on top of the mesas. In 1200, more people lived in present-day Montezuma County, encompassing Mesa Verde National Park, than today. But tucked in the cliffs, so hidden you could easily miss it with a passing glance, is the evidence of a long-gone society. Looking out across the mesas, the land seems barren, save for a few clumps of scrub brush dotted here and there and a feral horse grazing on the horizon. There’s a palpable sense of the sacred when you walk through the sandy-colored cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park. ![]()
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