Mesa Verde National Park in Montezuma County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Years of Activity

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 10, 2020

1. Years of Activity Marker

Inscription. The move to the alcoves began around 1200 CE and by mid-century, there were more than 30 cliff dwellings in the Cliff and Fewkes Canyon neighborhood. Several are visible from here. Imagine these canyons filled with the sights and sounds of a bustling neighborhood — smoke from cook fires, children playing, men working in their mesa top fields, people going about their day. Well-traveled paths wound through cliffs and forests from one village to another. Ties of families, friendships, shared celebrations, and ceremonies brought neighbors together in this vibrant community.

For 600 years, people lived next to the areas they farmed and walked to water. But during the 13th century, people began living by their water source and walking to their fields.
— Mark Varien, Archaeologist

[Timeline:]
CE=Common Era
550 CE — Semi-nomadic • 550 CE — Pithouses • 750 CE — Single-story villages • 1100 CE — Multi-story villages • 1200 CE — Cliff dwellings and late mesa top villages • 1300 CE — Migration

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1200.

Location.

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37° 9.752′ N, 108° 28.509′ W. Marker is in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, in Montezuma County. It is on Mesa Top Loop (State Highway 10). Marker is accessible via the Sun Point View overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mesa Verde National Park CO 81330, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Mountain West,

in Colorado Plateau,

and at the Four Corners.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Years of Change (here, next to this marker); Split-Level History (within shouting distance of this marker); Cliff Dwelling Life (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ties that Bind (approx. 0.2 miles away); Time of Transition (approx. 0.2 miles away); Oak Tree House (approx. ¼ mile away); Fire Temple (approx. ¼ mile away); House of Many Windows (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mesa Verde National Park.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 245 times since then and 8 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on July 22, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.