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Hovenweep National Monument Masonry Detail from the Holly Unit
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Hovenweep National Monument
Distance Learning Opportunities

Attention Teachers: The Internet connection for the Distance Learning program is currently not working. Please check back periodically for updates of when programs will resume.

Located in southern Colorado and Utah, Hovenweep National Monument was established in 1923 to protect seven groups of ancient stone towers and cliff dwellings that were abandoned more than 700 years ago.

For thousands of years people have lived and built communities on plateaus and in canyons like those at Hovenweep National Monument.

In a live broadcast, a National Park Ranger will guide you and your students as you explore the mysteries that make Hovenweep a unique and intriguing place.

  • Who built these structures?
  • How long ago?
  • Why did they build in this place?
  • What were their main sources of food?
  • Why did they leave?
  • Where did they go?

PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

 
Ancient Masonry Construction

Ancient Masonry Construction
Hovenweep is a place where ancient civilizations built grand communities that thrived for hundreds of years. Why did the ancestral Pueblo people build their structures along a shallow canyon? What tools and techniques did they use to build these large pueblos? How long did it take to complete a pueblo? Learn about the ingenuity and perseverance of the ancestral Pueblo people.

 
Dry Land Farming
Dry Land Farming
Hovenweep is part of a high desert environment that does not offer the perfect conditions for agriculture. How did the ancestral Pueblo people utilize this land for farming? What did they grow and was it enough to feed an entire community? How did they water their crops? Learn about the unique and ingenious methods the ancestral Pueblo people used to cultivate their farmland.
 

MORE INFORMATION

To learn more or schedule a program, send us an email or call Todd Overbye at (970) 562-4282 (x14). Programs must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.

You and your students will talk directly with a park ranger. Presentations may be customized for your special needs.

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Did You Know?

Did You Know?
The rocks at Hovenweep were deposited over 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. The landscape at that time featured streams, lakes and flood plains. The Dakota Sandstone forms the mesa tops and cliffs in the area, while the Burro Canyon Shale forms talus slopes.
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Last Updated: February 18, 2010 at 13:22 MST