They were farmers who grew maize (corn), beans and squash. They supplemented their diet with native plants and by hunting deer, rabbits, other mammals and birds.
As we looked down into the valley from some of the cliff dwellings, we saw several deer grazing near the ruins of the village of Tyuonyi (QU-weh-nee).
Archeological surveys show at least 3,000 sites in Bandelier, but not all were inhabited at the same time. For generations these people lived in small, scattered settlements of perhaps one or two families each. As the population grew, people began coming together in larger groups, and, by the mid-1200s, villages often included as many as 40 rooms. In the following 250 years, fewer and larger villages were established, with some exceeding 400 rooms. In Bandelier, the villages of Tyuonyi and Tsankawi (SAN-kuh-wee) exemplify this period.
If you look closely at the rendering above, you will notice dwellings nestled snugly against the cliff wall. Today, you can still see the remains of these homes. Long House is an 800-foot stretch of adjoining, multi-storied stone homes with hand-carved caves (cavates) as back rooms.
I was fascinated by the ladders located throughout the site, which gain visitors access to the caves, many of them featuring carved-out cooking spaces and benches. But the most amazing dwelling came at the end of the trail. 140 feet above the floor of Frijoles Canyon, the Alcove House was once home to approximately 25 Ancestral Pueblo people. Inside the alcove today are the viga holes (where the beams were inserted), niches of former homes and a reconstructed kiva.
Four separate ladders were required to ascend the 140 feet. You would want to be sure you had done everything you needed to before retiring for the night, lest you have to navigate those ladders by starlight!!!
While I had hoped to find a souvenir with the logo, the gift shop did not carry many such items apart from this pin that #1 Son added to his pin collection. I opted for these spectacular ceramic coasters. I will remember this place with a sense of wonderment and awe.
Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme
where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain
time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your
blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and
enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an
easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I
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Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join
in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.
