While visiting Mesa Verde a couple weeks I was told that the sites were considered sacred by the decendants of the ancestral puebloans. I found it interesting since at the time the dwellings were occupied, they didn't consider them sacred.
The people living there would take apart existing buildings to use the materials to build new structures. It makes sense since there were materials at hand and it's easier than having to find and transport new bricks.
They would also build over the existing structures. Again this is pretty practical since Mesa Verde has limited space. At the time, if they left the old structures standing, they would have to move miles away and eventually they would have to leave the area.
I wonder if the sacred designation came about when the Europeans started moving west as a move to save the sites. When the ancestral Puebloans left Mesa Verde, I don't think they had any intention to return.
No comments:
Post a Comment