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It was spring break 1979 and after a week of cross country skiing snowbound in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, my buddies and I decided to take a brief side trip up to Mesa Verde before heading back to Big Sky Country for our final semester of study at Montana State University. I had seen photographs of the famous ruins from the time I was a kid and always marveled at them. Yet the pictures begged more questions than they could ever possibly answer. This was my first real-life encounter, but certainly not to be my last, of Mesa Verde and what lies beyond. As the evening approached with a blustery March wind in our faces and a few feet of snow on the ground at elevations in excess of 8,000 feet, we peered over the cliff edges onto Cliff Palace, then Spruce Tree House, Square Tower and more. However I'm convinced the weather had little if anything to do with the cold chill running down my back as we gazed in awe and reverence at the incomparable sites so precariously perched on ledges below.
I was hooked.
Several decades later I'm still returning year after year to investigate, explore and understand who these people were and what happened to them. Perhaps we will never understand the full extent of their story, but their rich legacy of artwork painted and chiseled onto the red rock and their amazing masonry and architecture scattered throughout the Four Corners area might be considered the largest and most puzzling museum in the world.
The Anasazi or Ancestral Puebloan’s, often controversial in their history and origin yet enigmatic and mysterious inspire a rendering of similar intent. Hopefully you will find my images on this project I have been exploring worthy of their storied past.
Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoy the images.
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![Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. photograph, Spruce Tree House, anasazi, ruins]()
Spruce Tree House, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.
The late afternoon light that streaming into this ruin creates a chiaroscuro lighting effect adding to the mystery and drama of ruins.
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![Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, photograph, Square Tower House, anasazi, ruins, ancestral puebloans]()
Square Tower House (vertical), Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.
This is about the only view one can obtain of this special and enigmatic ruin at Mesa Verde. Hopefully some day the park service will allow visitors to hike down to this ruin, its very high on my bucket list.
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![Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, photograph, Square Tower House, anasazi, ruins, ancestral puebloans]()
Square Tower House (horizontal), Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.
This is about the only view one can obtain of this special and enigmatic ruin at Mesa Verde. Hopefully some day the park service will allow visitors to hike down to this ruin, its very high on my bucket list.
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![Monarch Cave Ruins, Utah, photograph, Bears Ear National Monument, desert, canyon, ancestral puebloans, comb ridge]()
Monarch Cave Ruins, Bears Ear National Monument, Utah
One of the more interesting ruins I've seen in the area with its prominent curved tower facing outward. Like so many of these ruins this one is currently experiencing some stability issues. Tread lightly with deep respect.
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![Fish Creek Ruins, Cedar Mesa, Utah, photograph, ancient ruins, ancestral puebloans, canyon, desert, Bears Ear National Monument]()
Fish Creek Ruin #2 Bears Ear National Monument, Utah
Its a relatively easy hike into the first few ruins along Fish Creek in the Cedar Mesa area. This was a particularly nice day with fantastic clouds which ads more drama to the southwestern skies. Note the feint painted hands in the upper right hand corner of the ceiling in this ruin.
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![Utah, photograph, Bears Ear National Monument, Cedar Mesa, ancient ruins, ancestral puebloans, canyon, desert]()
The Citadel Ruin Bears Ear National Monument, Utah
What a hike and an adventure out to this incredible location and set of ruins. The exposed ledges and steep friction pitches are not for the feint of heart though. We set out very late in the afternoon for this one and ended up hiking out at twilight. By the time we got to the trailhead it was all but pitch dark. Many have suggested this ruin was a fortress of sorts, perhaps. Regardless of its intent this one qualifies for the most extreme living one can imagine. Its roughly 700-800 feet to the bottom of Road Canyon where The Citadel perches over and situated on a very isolated peninsula. But what a view!
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![Utah, photograph, Colorado, Hovenweep National Monument, ancient ruins, anasazi, ancestral puebloans, Hovenweep Castle,]()
Hovenweep Castle at Hovenweep National Monument, Utah & Colorado
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![Utah, Colorado, photograph, Hovenweep National Monument, ancient ruins, anasazi, ancestral puebloans, desert]()
Square Tower Ruin at Hovenweep National Monument, Utah & Colorado
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![Colorado, photograph, ruins, ancestral puebloans, canyon of the ancients,]()
Kiva At Anasazi Heritage Center, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado
This ruin is part of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado said to contain over 6000 documented sites.
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![New Mexico, photograph, Aztec Ruins National Monument, ancestral puebloans, ancient ruins, anasazi]()
Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico
One of the amazing things about Aztec Ruins is the intricate very well crafted masonry. This set of ruins are believed to be roughly 900 years old.
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![Black and White photograph of the ruins at Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico during the winter season with cumulous clouds hovering over the ruins.]()
Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico
Cumulous clouds hover over the ruins at Aztec Ruins National Monument during the winter months.
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![Black and White photograph of the ruins at Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico during the winter season with cumulous clouds hovering over the ruins.]()
Large Kiva and Ruins, Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico.
A group of cumulous clouds move into the Ruins area during the winter months.
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![Black and White photograph of Pueblo Bonito illustrating large kivas and ruins the places where ancestral puebloans worked and lived]()
Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico
Grand kivas create the foreground for the towering walls and ruins behind
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![Black and White photograph of Pueblo Bonito illustrating large kivas and ruins the places where ancestral puebloans worked and lived]()
Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico
View of the grand kiva with ruins and canyon wall in the background.
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![Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico photograph, black and white photograph, ancient ruins, anasazi, ancestral publoans, archaeology,]()
Pueblo Bonito Interior View at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico.
Interior of Pueblo Bonito rooms illustrating doorways using masonry and timbers
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![Interior view of Pueblo Bonito illustrating receding doorways within a labyrinth of rooms]()
Pueblo Bonito Interior Doorway at Chaco Culture, New Mexico
Series of receding doorways leads through many interior rooms within the ruins at Chaco Culture
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![The remains of large interior walls of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Culture National Historic Park in New Mexico]()
Remains of Interior Wall within Pueblo Bonito Ruin at Chaco Culture
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![The remains of Ancestral puebloans structure at Pueblo Bonito Ruin in Chaco Culture National Historic Park of New Mexico.]()
Canyon Wall Towers Over the Remains of an Interior Wall at Pueblo Bonito Ruin at Chaco Culture
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![Black and White photograph illustrating how these structures were built with their massive walls at Pueblo del Arroyo in the Chaco Culture National Historic Park of New Mexico]()
Pueblo del Arroyo at Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico
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![Black and White photograph illustrating how these structures were built with their massive walls at Pueblo del Arroyo in the Chaco Culture National Historic Park of New Mexico]()
Pueblo Arroyo, Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico
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![The grand circular kiva at Casa Rinconada illustrates how large these structures are capable of hosting many people during their ceremonies, rituals and gatherings.]()
Casa Rinconada Grand Kiva at Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico
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![New Mexico, photograph, Salinas National Monument, ancient ruins]()
Salinas National Monument, Abo Unit, New Mexico.
Late afternoon billowing clouds over the ruins. Archaeology suggest the Spanish arrived in this area around 1581 AD to a thriving culture of puebloans
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![New Mexico, photograph, Salinas National Monument, ancient ruins]()
Salinas National Monument, Abo Unit, New Mexico.
Dramatic afternoon clouds billow above the ruins.
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![Storming clouds move in over the mission at Quarai Unit of the Salinas Missions National Monument of New Mexico.]()
Salinas Missions National Monument, Quarai Unit in New Mexico
View of the Quarai Mission with morning storming clouds hovering over the church
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![Utah, photograph, petroglyph, rock art, The Procession Panel, Comb Ridge, Bears Ear National Monument, desert, canyon]()
The Procession Petroglyph, Bears Ear National Monument, Utah
Considered to be one of the petroglyph masterpieces in the southwest the Procession truly is an extraordinary piece of rock art. For this image I wanted to provide a sense of place and sense of scale on the canyon wall rather than isolate the artwork by itself. You can easily spend half a day or more pouring over this panel its so fascinating.
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![Utah, photograph, rock art, petroglyph, the owl and the big man, desert, canyon]()
The Owl and the Big Man petroglyph, Utah
Imagine our surprise after hiking up to this incredibly pristine centuries old rock art panel to find not one iota of molestation which is very rare. The quality of this petroglyph and its craftsmanship is really quite remarkable as well. Few petroglyphs are this refined.
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![Utah, photograph, Sego Canyon Pictograph, pictograph, ancient ruins, ancestral puebloans, desert, canyon]()
Sego Canyon Pictograph, Utah
An incredible set of pictographs and a few petroglyphs similar to the Archaic and Barrier style of rock art. Most of these rock art panels date as far back as 6000 BC.
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![Horseshoe Canyon, Utah, photograph, pictograph, desert, ancient ruins, ancestral puebloans, canyon]()
The Great Gallery, Horseshoe Canyon at Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
This is a very large scale set of pictographs found in a remote area of Canyonlands National Park. These rock art panels represent nomadic peoples as far back6000 BC. This set of panels are roughly 200 foot long and 15 feet high. Their massive would be stating it lightly.
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![Horseshoe Canyon, Utah, photograph, pictograph, desert, canyon, ancient ruins, ancestral puebloans]()
Small Pictograph panel in Horseshoe Canyon at Canyonlands National Park, Utah
This smaller panel of pictographs is found on the hike to the Great Gallery in Horseshoe Canyon and while its considerably smaller its still very impressive.
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Thank your for visiting my website!
All images within the site are available as fine art prints for your collection. Feel free to reach out to this link for email and phone number to discuss your needs.
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