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cliff dwelling |
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cliff dwellingPrehistoric, usually multistoried house of the ancestors of present-day Pueblo Indians, built from c. 1000 along the sides or under the overhangs of cliffs. The use of hand-hewn stone building blocks and adobe mortar in these communal dwellings was unexcelled even in later times. Rooms on upper levels could be entered either by doorways from adjoining rooms or by ladders through holes in the ceilings; ground-floor rooms could be entered only through the ceiling. It is thought that the cliff dwellings were built as a defense against invading Navajo and Apache tribes. They were deserted by the inhabitants around the end of the 13th century. Many ruins remain, including notable ones at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, and Montezuma Castle National Monument. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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The park, famed for its 12th-century Pueblo cliff dwellings, was established in 1906. We know that the Anasazi, who built the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and other sites in the Southwest, disappeared sometime during the 13th century. From the Visitor Center, the Island Trail drops down into the world of the cliff dwellings. |
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