- homes built into the side of a cliff
- made by Ancestral Puebloan peoples known as the Anasazi
- built more than 600 structures into cliff faces of the Four Corners region of the United States
- in Southwesters Colorado in the national park, Mesa Verde
- Puebloans accessed dwellings with retractable ladders
- buildings ranged from 1 - 4 stories
- made with stone, mud mortar, and wooden beams
- the buildings provide important insight into the lives of the Ancestral Puebloans
- families lived in architectural units - connected rooms
- some had unusual structures, like a circular tower
- walls plastered with murals which display geometric designs, plants, and animals
- Puebloans who lived here were sedentary farmers
These cliff dwellings were used as homes. Walls were plastered with murals which displayed geometric designs, plants, and animals. These were probably important because of the agricultural importance to the Puebloans. Some of the geometric designs are thought to represent nature as well, such as the clouds, rain, sun, moon, or mountains. This shows the importance of nature to the Ancestral Puebloan people. The Ancestral Puebloans greatly benefited from the environment. Using the side of a cliff for their structure, they were safe from damaging weather and people. Like the Longmen caves in china, the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings are full of art and other objects that show the importance of that particular culture's religious beliefs.