Square Tower House – an ancient cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park Colorado
Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE. Today the park protects about 5,000 sites including 600 cliff dwellings.
Square Tower House is an impressive three-story structure located under an overhanging cliff. Built in the mid-1200s, it is the tallest structure in Mesa Verde. It was also the tallest man-made structure in north America until the mid-1800s! Because of its height, it is one of the most iconic dwellings in the park. Since it is south-facing, the structure is lighted most of the day, but the mid-morning to mid-afternoon light is flat, whereas late-afternoon light creates strong cross-shadows that help define the walls. In the summer, the cliff shades the structure at sunset, but in the winter, the last rays of the sun touch it.
Square Tower House – an ancient cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park Colorado
Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE. Today the park protects about 5,000 sites including 600 cliff dwellings.
Square Tower House is an impressive three-story structure located under an overhanging cliff. Built in the mid-1200s, it is the tallest structure in Mesa Verde. It was also the tallest man-made structure in north America until the mid-1800s! Because of its height, it is one of the most iconic dwellings in the park. Since it is south-facing, the structure is lighted most of the day, but the mid-morning to mid-afternoon light is flat, whereas late-afternoon light creates strong cross-shadows that help define the walls. In the summer, the cliff shades the structure at sunset, but in the winter, the last rays of the sun touch it.