Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwestern Colorado. Its name, Mesa Verde, means “green table” in Spanish. In 1978, Mesa Verde was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its outstanding archaeological significance. The park offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience a unique cultural and physical landscape.
With nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites, the park protects cliff dwellings as well as mesa-top sites including pit houses, pueblos, masonry towers, and farming structures used by Ancestral Pueblo peoples.
These ancestral people lived in the area for more than 700 years, from around A.D. 550 (or roughly 600, depending on the source) until about A.D. 1300. After centuries of living primarily on the mesa top, they began building under the overhanging cliffs — everything from one-room storage units to large villages of more than 150 rooms. This gives us a vivid glimpse into the places and stories of America’s diverse cultural heritage.
梅薩維德/弗德台地國家公園位於科羅拉多州西南部。它的名字「梅薩維德」在西班牙語中意為「綠色的桌子」。 1978 年，梅薩維德因其卓越的考古價值而被聯合國教科文組織列入世界遺產名錄。公園為遊客提供了一個絕佳的機會，讓人們能體驗獨特的文化和自然景觀。
公園有近 5,000 個已知的考古遺址，保護著懸崖居所和平頂山頂部的遺址，包括地穴式房屋、普韋布洛村落、石砌塔樓以及古代普韋布洛人使用的農業建築。
這些先民在這區域生活了 700 多年，從西元 550 年左右（或根據不同資料，約西元 600 年）一直到西元 1300 年左右。幾個世紀以來，他們主要居住在平頂山頂部，後來開始在懸崖下建造房屋——從單間儲藏室到有 150 多個房間的大型村落，應有盡有。這讓我們得以留下深刻印象地瞥見美國多元文化遺產的地點和的故事。
Park Map (Click to enlarge the map)
Click here for Interactive Park Map from National Park Service
Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center 梅薩維德遊客和研究中心
We visited Mesa Verde National Park on May 17, 2021. We entered the park from the northeast corner. Our first stop was the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center. Because of COVID-19, the center itself was closed to visitors, although the bookstore and gift shop were open. I was still able to get my cancellation stamp for my park passport.
While we were waiting in line, a park ranger told us that the building had received an award for its design. I later checked the website and learned that the center is LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified—an international standard recognizing buildings that conserve energy, reduce environmental impact, and provide healthier spaces for people. The center incorporates features such as energy-efficient lighting and climate systems, sustainable building materials, and low-water-use native landscaping. These elements reduce the building’s environmental footprint while creating a comfortable and environmentally responsible space that reflects the park’s broader commitment to preservation.
I also really enjoyed the area surrounding the visitor center, and according to the website, it sounds like there are some excellent displays inside as well.
我們於 2021 年 5 月 17 日遊覽了梅薩維德國家公園。我們從公園的東北角進入。第一站是梅薩維德遊客和研究中心。由於新冠疫情，中心本身不對遊客開放，但書店和禮品店仍營業。我還是在那裡蓋上了公園護照的註銷章。
排隊等候時，一位公園管理員告訴我們，這棟建築因其設計而獲獎。後來我查看了網站，了解到該中心獲得了 LEED®（能源與環境設計先鋒獎）認證——這是一項國際標準，旨在表彰那些節能、減少環境影響並為人們提供更健康空間的建築。這個中心採用了節能照明和氣候系統、永續建築材料以及低耗水本地植物景觀等特色。這些措施減少了建築的環境足跡，同時創造了一個舒適且環保的空間，反映了公園更廣泛的保護承諾。
我也很喜歡遊客中心周圍的區域，而且根據網站上的介紹，裡面似乎也有一些很棒的展覽。
Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum 查平梅薩考古博物館
Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum is one of the oldest museums in the National Park Service. Constructed between 1922 and 1925, it replaced a log cabin that had displayed park artifacts since 1917. The Pueblo Revival–style building—designed and constructed during the tenure of archaeologist and park superintendent Jesse L. Nusbaum—is an early example of “parkitecture,” an informal term for park buildings intentionally designed to be aesthetically appropriate to their natural surroundings and reflective of the cultural traditions associated with national parks.
The museum is one of six park buildings at Mesa Verde constructed from local buff sandstone with projecting wooden beams (vigas). Its construction was funded by donations from John D. Rockefeller Jr. Today, the museum is part of the Mesa Verde Administrative District, a designated National Historic Landmark in 1987. The museum displays dioramas illustrating Ancestral Pueblo life.
When we visited in 2021, the museum was closed due to COVID-19.
查平梅薩考古博物館是國家公園管理局最古老的博物館之一。它建於 1922 年至 1925 年間，取代了自 1917 年以來一直用於展示公園文物的木屋。這座普韋布洛復興風格的建築由考古學家兼公園主管傑西·努斯鮑姆(Jesse L. Nusbaum)設計建造，是「公園建築」（parkitecture）的早期範例。 「公園建築」是一個非正式術語，指的是那些在設計上力求與自然環境相協調，並體現國家公園文化傳統的公園建築。
博物館是梅薩維德國家公園六座建築之一，由當地的淺黃色砂岩建造而成，並飾以突出的樑（vigas）。其建設資金來自小約翰·洛克菲勒的捐贈。如今，該博物館是梅薩維德行政區的一部分，自 1987 年以來被指定為國家歷史地標。博物館展出描繪古代普韋布洛人生活的環境生態模型。
2021 年我們去參觀的時候，博物館因為新冠疫情而關閉。
Spruce Tree House 雲杉屋
Tucked into the cliffs just steps from the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum, Spruce Tree House is one of Mesa Verde’s most impressive ancient dwellings—and it’s easy to see why it still captivates visitors today. As the third-largest cliff dwelling in the park (surpassed only by Cliff Palace and Long House), Spruce Tree House feels both intimate and monumental at the same time.
Built between about 1211 and 1278 CE by the ancestors of today’s Pueblo peoples, the site once held roughly 130 rooms and 8 kivas, all sheltered inside a graceful natural alcove more than 200 feet wide. Archaeologists believe that around 60 to 80 people lived here, forming a thriving community nestled into the sandstone.
Spruce Tree House also has one of those great “found by accident” stories. In 1888, two ranchers searching for stray cattle stumbled across the dwelling—and the huge tree growing from the cliff edge down toward the rooms below. They thought it was a Douglas spruce, and legend says they climbed down it to enter the site for the very first time. The tree itself is long gone now, cut down by another early explorer, but the story adds a bit of frontier drama to the place.
Today, Spruce Tree House is closed to public entry because of ongoing rock-fall concerns, but don’t let that stop you from visiting. You can still enjoy excellent views from the overlooks near the museum, and the vantage point actually gives you a stunning, full-alcove perspective—perfect for photos and for imagining daily life in this sheltered cliffside home.
雲杉樹屋隱匿於懸崖峭壁之中，距離查平梅薩考古博物館僅幾步之遙，是梅薩維德國家公園最令人印象深刻的古代居所之一——不難理解為何它至今仍吸引著眾多遊客。作為公園內第三大崖居（僅次於懸崖宮殿和長屋），雲杉樹屋既給人親切之感，又展現出宏偉的氣勢。
該遺址由現今普韋布洛人的祖先於公元 1211 年至 1278 年間建造，曾擁有約 130 個房間和 8 個大地穴（kiva），所有這些都巧妙地安置在一個寬達 200 多英尺的天然凹室中。考古學家認為，這裡曾經居住著大約 60 至 80 人，形成了一個繁榮的社區，依偎在砂岩之中。
雲杉樹屋也流傳著一個「意外發現」的傳奇故事。 1888 年，兩位在牧場工作的人在尋找走失的牛群時，偶然發現了這座樹屋——以及從懸崖邊向下延伸至下方房間的那棵參天大樹。他們當時以為這是一棵道格拉斯冷杉，傳說他們正是順著樹幹爬下去，才得以首次進入這處住所。如今，這棵樹早已不復存在，被另一位早期探險家砍伐殆盡，但這個故事卻為這處地方增添了一絲拓荒時代的傳奇色彩。
如今，由於持續存在的落石隱患，雲杉樹屋已不對公眾開放，但這並不妨礙您前來參觀。您仍然可以從博物館附近的觀景台欣賞到絕佳的景色，而且從那裡可以俯瞰整個樹屋，視野開闊，非常適合拍照，也能讓您想像這座隱蔽的懸崖小屋里人們的日常生活。
Post Office (Near Spruce Tree House) 郵局
Archaeological Sites along the Mesa Top Loop Road 梅薩頂環路沿線的考古遺址
For more than 700 years, Ancestral Pueblo people lived in the Mesa Verde region. Archaeologists once called these people Anasazi, a Navajo word sometimes translated as “the ancient foreigners,” though today the preferred term is Ancestral Puebloans. They built elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of canyon walls. In the late 1200s, they left their homes and moved on to communities farther south.
The 6-mile (10 km) Mesa Top Loop leads visitors through seven centuries of Ancestral Pueblo history. From the remains of early pithouses (around 550 CE) and early masonry villages to multi-storied cliff dwellings (from about 1100 CE), the archaeological sites along the loop illustrate the remarkable evolution of Pueblo architecture. Archaeology and Pueblo oral histories together offer insight into what life may have been like for the people who lived, worked, and raised families here for generations.
在梅薩維德地區生活了 700 多年，古代普韋布洛人一直住在那裡。考古學家曾稱他們為阿納薩齊人(Anasazi)，這是一個納瓦霍語詞彙，有時被翻譯為「古代的外國人」，但如今更常用的稱呼是古代普韋布洛人。他們在峽谷壁的隱蔽凹室中建造了精巧的石頭村落。 13 世紀末，他們離開了家園，遷移到更南方的地區。
全長 10 公里（6 英里）的梅薩頂環線 (Mesa Top Loop) 可引領遊客穿越七個世紀的古代普韋布洛歷史。從早期半地穴式房屋（約公元 550 年）和早期磚石村落的遺跡，到多層崖居（約公元 1100 年），環線沿線的考古遺址展現了普韋布洛建築的非凡演變。考古發現與普韋布洛口述歷史結合，讓我們得以深入了解世世代代在此生活、勞動和養育子女的人們的生活狀況。
Pithouse (600 CE) 穴屋（西元 600 年）
We drove the Mesa Top Loop to see several of these structures and to get a sense of how people lived. Our first stop was a pithouse dated to about 600 CE. People lived in pithouses here from about 550 to 750 CE. A pithouse was dug into the ground and supported by four corner posts that held up the roof. The firepit included an air-deflector to help circulate air through the room. An antechamber might contain storage pits or bins. Archaeologists call this early era the Basketmaker period, named for the finely crafted baskets made at the time. The people farmed corn, beans, and squash; hunted wild animals; and gathered a wide variety of edible and useful plants. They made tools from stone, wood, and bone, and built pithouses that often formed small villages on mesa tops and in alcoves. During this period, the people also became skilled potters and began using the bow and arrow, which replaced the atlatl as a more efficient hunting tool.
我們沿著梅薩頂環線開車遊覽，參觀了幾處這樣的建築，並了解當時人們的生活方式。我們的第一站是一棟可追溯到西元 600 年左右的穴屋。大約在西元 550 年至 750 年間，人們就居住在這種穴屋中。穴屋挖入地下，由四根角柱支撐屋頂。火坑內設有導風板，以幫助空氣在室內流通。前廳可能設有儲藏坑或容器。考古學家將這段早期時期稱為「編織籃筐者時期」，因為當時人們製作的籃子精美絕倫。人們種植玉米、豆類和南瓜；狩獵野生動物；並採集各種可食用和有用的植物。他們用石頭、木頭和骨頭製作工具，並在平頂山或凹室中建造穴屋，這些房屋常常形成小型村莊。在此期間，人們也成為了技藝精湛的陶工，並開始使用弓箭，弓箭取代了投矛器，成為更有效率的狩獵工具。
Navajo Canyon Overlook 納瓦霍峽谷觀景台
The Navajo Canyon Overlook offers views of Navajo Canyon and Echo Cliff.
從納瓦霍峽谷觀景台可以欣賞納瓦霍峽谷和迴聲崖的景色。
Pithouse (700–950 CE) 穴屋（西元 700–950 年）
The next pithouses we saw were dated 700–950 CE. Around 750 CE, some people began to build above-ground houses with upright walls made of poles and mud. These structures were often built in long, curving rows, sometimes with one or two pithouses in front. Over time, pithouses evolved into kivas, ceremonial rooms built partly underground. Archaeologists call this period the Pueblo period—the Spanish word for “town” or “village”—to reflect this significant change in community layout and architecture.
我們看到的下一批穴屋的年代可追溯至西元 700 年至 950 年。大約在西元 750 年，有些人開始建造地上房屋，這些房屋的牆壁由木桿和泥土構成。這些建築通常呈現長條狀彎曲排列，有時前面會有一兩座穴屋。隨著時間的推移，穴屋演變為大地穴 (kiva)，即部分建於地下的祭祀場所。考古學家將這一時期稱為普韋布洛時期（Pueblo period），「普韋布洛」一詞源於西班牙語，意為「城鎮」或「村莊」，以反映社區佈局和建築的重大變化。
Mesa Top Sites (900–1100 CE) 梅薩頂遺址（西元 900–1100 年）
Mesa Top Sites are featured structures dating from AD 900–1100. By around AD 1000, architectural skills had advanced from pole-and-adobe construction to stone masonry. Walls of thick, double-coursed stone often rose two or three stories high and were connected to form room blocks of 50 rooms or more. Farming made up a larger portion of the diet than before, and much mesa-top land was cleared for agriculture.
梅薩頂遺址是西元 900 年至 1100 年間的特色建築。大約在西元 1000 年，建築技術已從木桿和土坯結構發展到石砌結構。厚厚的雙層石牆通常高達兩三層，彼此相連形成擁有 50 個或更多房間的樓群。耕作在人們的飲食中佔比以往更高的比例，平顶山頂部的許多土地都被開墾用於耕種。
「大地穴」(Kiva)一詞源自於霍皮語，在梅薩維德地區用來指圓形的、通常位於地下的房間，幾乎每個村落或房屋附近都有這種房間。它可能兼具宗教、社交和實用功能。入口位於屋頂中央，透過梯子進入。
Sun Point Pueblo (1200s CE) 太陽點村（西元 13 世紀）
Then we continued on to AD 1200s Sun Point Pueblo. This was one of the last mesa-top pueblos to be built at Mesa Verde: a 30-room village with a large kiva and tower connected by a tunnel at its center. Between about 1150 and 1300, many people lived in compact villages made up of multiple rooms, often arranged around kivas or small courtyards. Carefully shaped building stones, finely constructed and plastered walls, and increasingly sophisticated pottery styles characterize this period.
Around 1225, a major population shift began. People started moving back into the cliff alcoves that had sheltered their ancestors centuries earlier. It was during this time that they began building the cliff dwellings for which Mesa Verde is most famous.
隨後我們繼續參觀了西元 1200 年代的太陽點村遺址。這是梅薩維德最後建造的平顶山頂部的村落之一：一個有 30 個房間的村莊，村中心有一條隧道連接著一個大型大地穴和一座塔樓。大約在西元 1150 年至 1300 年間，許多人居住在由多個房間組成的小巧村落中，這些房間通常圍繞著大地穴或小型庭院而建。精心雕琢的建築石塊、精細建造並粉刷的牆壁以及日益精湛的陶器風格是這一時期的特徵。
大約在西元 1225 年，人口開始大規模遷移。人們開始搬回幾個世紀前庇護他們祖先的懸崖峭壁凹室。正是在這段時期，他們開始建造梅薩維德最著名的崖居。
Oak Tree House (1250 CE) 橡樹屋（西元 1250 年)
The next stop is Oak Tree House, which dates to around AD 1250. Most of the cliff dwellings were built from the late 1190s to the late 1270s. They range from one-room houses to community centers of about 150 rooms, such as Cliff Palace and Long House. There is no standard ground plan; builders fit the structures to the available space. Many rooms were plastered on the inside and decorated with painted designs.
The families of Oak Tree House were part of a larger community, neighboring many other cliff dwellings in Fewkes Canyon and Cliff Canyon. While most cliff dwellings are small, with fewer than ten rooms, this neighborhood includes many of Mesa Verde’s largest cliff villages.
Like other cliff dwellings, Oak Tree House is tucked neatly into an alcove that protects the village from wind, rain, and snow. Its southern exposure provided warmth from the low winter sun. An active seep spring located a short distance downcanyon supplied the village with fresh water. It’s easy to see why the Ancestral Pueblo people chose to live here.
下一站是橡樹屋，其歷史可追溯至西元 1250 年左右。大多數崖居建於 1190 年代末至 1270 年代末之間。這些崖居規模各異，從單人小屋到約有 150 個房間的社區中心，例如崖宮(Cliff Palace)和長屋(Long House)，應有盡有。崖居沒有統一的平面佈局，建者根據可用空間靈活調整建築結構。許多房間內部都抹有灰泥，並飾以彩繪圖案。
橡樹屋的居民隸屬於一個更大的社區，與菲尤克斯峽谷(Fewkes Canyon)和克利夫峽谷(Cliff Canyon)的許多其他崖居相鄰。雖然大多數崖居規模較小，房間不到十間，但這個社區卻囊括了梅薩維德國家公園許多最大的崖居村落。
與其他崖居一樣，橡樹屋巧妙地依偎在一個凹室中，免受風雨雪的侵襲。朝南的方位讓它得以沐浴在冬日低垂的陽光，溫暖宜人。峽谷下游不遠處的一處活躍泉眼為村莊提供了充足的水。不難理解，為何古代普韋布洛人會選擇在此定居。
Fire Temple & New Fire House (1250 CE) 火神廟及新火屋（西元 1250 年)
Fire Temple and New Fire House, dated to about 1250 CE, are two of the great-house cliff-dwelling pueblos. From a park overlook, you can see how the builders used natural layers in the sandstone to construct the split-level dwelling and ceremonial center. Note the line of holes on the cliff edge between the two ruins on the upper ledge. These footholds once led to a ladder that connected the two levels.
火神廟和新火屋建於西元 1250 年左右，是兩座典型的崖居式村莊建築遺址。從公園的觀景台上，您可以欣賞到建造者如何利用砂岩的天然層理，建造出這座錯層式的住宅和祭祀中心。請注意上層岩架上兩座遺址之間的一排孔洞。這些踏腳處曾經是連接上下兩層的梯子。
Sun Temple (1250 CE) 太陽神廟（西元 1250 年)
The Sun Temple, built around 1250 CE, seems to have been a special ceremonial place rather than a home — archaeologists didn’t find any household items or roof beams, and the walls were crafted with unusually fine, dimpled stonework. The structure was big, D-shaped, and carefully built with thick double walls, but for reasons we still don’t fully know, it was never completed. Inside, researchers uncovered a mix of rooms and several circular structures, with one more circle sitting off to the southeast.
Some clues hint that the Sun Temple might’ve been used for watching the sky. There’s even a worn stone basin that may have acted like a seasonal sundial, and some experts think the walls lined up with events like the winter solstice sunset. Whether it was left open on purpose as an observatory or construction simply stopped, it’s clear the Sun Temple played an important role in the Cliff Palace community — even if it still keeps a lot of its secrets.
太陽神廟建於西元 1250 年左右，似乎並非住宅，而是一個特殊的祭祀場所——考古學家沒有發現任何生活用品或屋樑，牆壁的石砌工藝異常精細，表面凹凸不平。這棟建築規模宏大，呈 D 形，採用厚實的雙層牆體精心建造，但由於我們至今仍不完全清楚的原因，它從未完工。在神殿內部，研究人員發現了多個房間和幾個圓形結構，還有一個圓形結構位於東南方向。
一些線索暗示，太陽神廟可能曾被用於觀測星空。那裡甚至還有一個風化的石盆，或許曾被用作季節性日晷。一些專家認為，神殿的牆壁排列與冬至日落等天文事件相對應。無論它是被有意保留為天文台，還是建造工程就此中斷，太陽神廟在懸崖宮殿社區中扮演的重要角色毋庸置疑——即便它至今仍保留著許多秘密。
Cliff Palace 懸崖宮殿
Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. It is believed to have been constructed and occupied from about A.D. 1200 to 1300. Recent studies show that Cliff Palace contained 150 rooms and 23 kivas, and housed a population of approximately 100 people. It is thought to have served as a social and administrative center with significant ceremonial use.
The Cliff Palace Overlook is the first stop on the 6-mile (10 km) Cliff Palace Loop Road, which takes you past Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and overlooks of other cliff dwellings. Ranger-guided tours are available, but tour tickets must be purchased in advance.
懸崖宮殿是北美最大的崖居。據信它建於公元 1200 年至 1300 年間，並一直有人居住。近期研究表明，懸崖宮殿有 150 個房間和 23 個大地穴（kiva），可容納約 100 人。人們認為它曾是重要的社會和行政中心，並用於舉行各種儀式。
懸崖宮殿觀景台是全長 10 公里（6 英里）的懸崖宮殿環線公路的第一站，這條公路沿途會經過懸崖宮殿、陽台屋以及其他懸崖居所的觀景點。這裡提供由護林員帶領的遊覽團，但必須提前購買門票。
Wildflowers 野花
World Through My Eyes (Photographs) Posts/我鏡頭裏的世(視)界帖子
Travel/Point of Interest Posts 旅遊景點帖子
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