Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde

About 1,400 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America, a group of people living in the Four Corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. For more than 700 years they and their descendants lived and flourished here, eventually building elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls. Then, in the late A.D. 1200s, in the span of a generation or two, they left their homes and moved away. Mesa Verde National Park preserves a spectacular reminder of this ancient culture.

Use the following links to learn more about the Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde. (To get the Free Adobe Reader, which is required to read the pdf file, click here.)

• Illustrated scene of Spruce Tree House
• Ancestral Puebloans and Their World (pdf, 552 kb)
• Today's 24 Associated Tribes of Mesa Verde (pdf, 112 kb)

Places Reflecting America's Diverse Cultures

The National Park Service preserves historic places and stories of America's diverse cultural heritage. The newest online travel itinerary, Places Reflecting America's Diverse Cultures, takes you to more than 150 of these sites. Learn about the many diverse peoples who have played a role in American history, and the places that preserve and tell their stories. Use the itinerary to find maps, information, images, and essays from prominent historians; or to plan a visit.