I couldn't believe how amazing the structures were. They were built right into the cliffs. This site is called Spruce Tree House.
Unfortunately, you can't walk around inside them, but they do have some areas that they have renovated where you can go.
This was down inside one the renovated rooms. This was where they held their religious services. They also believe that because of the warmth the rooms provided in the winter, that families would have been able to sleep in them.
This was one of the sites that was built above ground. Even though a lot of the people lived in the mountainsides, some still stayed on top. That was where they would farm beans and corn.
This is one of the other sites and the largest one that we were able to see. It is called Cliff Palace. There were over 150 rooms all together.
They used what space they had very well. They would build all the way to the top and to the very back of the cave.
This is a better view of what the rooms for religious services looked like. They are down in the ground and you have to climb down a ladder to get inside. They have a fire pit in the center of the room. There is a hole in the wall that goes up to the ground and acts as a vent to keep the air circulating in the room. Then they built a wall in front of the fire to keep the air from putting the fire out.
It was a great trip! We will have to go back someday and see the rest of the sites they have there. We didn't get to see all of them because of the time of the year that we went. That will be trip for for us and the kids someday!
