I was anxious as we drove to the park because of my limited movement. You really need functioning legs to visit these cliff dwellings! This was one of my "big" and "exciting" things to do on this trip. So, I was slightly depressed at the though of having come all this way only to not see ANY cliff dwellings because I couldn't walk.
Yes, they have one dwelling that is an easier walk/hike, called Spruce Tree. We visited that one after we bought our tickets for the two tours: Balcony House and Cliff Palace. My knee bothered me off and on all day, and as we walked to and from Spruce Tree, I second-guessed my over confident decision to go on not one, but TWO tours.
You see, Balcony House has a 32 foot ladder to climb as well as a 12 foot-long tunnel to crawl through at the end. Cliff Palace has three shorter ladders (spanning about 100 feet total), and about 100 feet of a near-vertical staircase at the end. That's nto mentioning the 100 feet of regular metal stairs at the beginning--to descend down the cliff face.
Cliff Palace
Kiva
But, I did it! While walking Spruce Tree, I figured out exactly how I needed to move down stairs (one at a time, NOT bending the knee at all) and how to descend and ascend on inclined planes.
Ladders and crawling were surprisingly pain-free. I did need to "limp" and keep weight off of my right leg on the ladder, though.
Anyway, words cannot describe the physical beauty of this ancient place, and potographs simply cannot do it justicee. So, I will describe it from a cultural Anthropologist's view instead of an Archaeologist's. But, first, some explanation:
The Ancient Puebloans (formerly known as "Anasazi," or "ancient enemy" in Navajo) occupied these abandoned cliff dwellings around 1200 AD. Not much is known about them; but we can definitely infer a lot about their lives: "Why did they leave?" is the biggest question everyone asks.
There have been no skeletons foud in sites (as if there was a famine/plague and they left the bodies where they lay); there's no direct signs of war (excessive arrow head creation, etc). There were some instances of defensive ad-ons over time, so maybe they left because water (and other resources) were becoming scarce.
Regardless, these silent, empty vilages must surely leave every visitor with a sense of wonder (not to mention more questions!). Their expertly-cut/masioned? stones piled high enough to nestle comfortably against the cliff's ceiling. Even though some buildings may have crumbled, the smoke from cooking fires still stain the cliff face.
Where did these peoples walk? Did any fall to their deaths wile sleep-walking? How did they keep toddlers from wandering over the edge? Only one site we visited had a short wall along the cliff's edge.
And, the kivas: their religious centers. The places where they gathered not only for ceremonies, but apparently also for some daily life activities (like weaving). How is it that the Navajo call them "ancient enemy" when ther eis no evidence of war? What oral traditions do they have to explain that? Why, exactly, do many Native American tribes consider these sites so sacred that they will not even visit?
How do they feel about all of us non-Natives both respectfully and disrespectfully (at times, I'm sure) trapsing about these sacred sites?
Even if we non-Natives are not direct descendants of the Ancient Puebloans, these sites are now part of our history, too. I can only hope we all learnfrom them--the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
~FIN
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