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Mesa Verde National Park, Inside Cliff Palace photo
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Inside Cliff Palace

Mesa Verde National Park

Cliff Palace contains 23 kivas and 150 rooms. One kiva, in the center of the ruin, is at a point where the entire structure is partitioned by a series of walls with no doorways or other access portals. The walls of this kiva were plastered with one color on one side and a different color on the opposing side. Archaeologists believe that the Cliff Palace contained two communities and that this kiva was used to integrate the two communities.
The large square tower on the right that almost reaches the cave "roof" was in ruins by the 1800s. The National Park Service carefully restored it to its approximate height and stature, making it one of the most memorable buildings in the Cliff Palace. Slightly different-colored materials were used to show it was a restoration.

 Best time to Photograph: Cliff Palace - 2-3 hours before sunset.
Photo © copyright by Erik and Melissa Barnes.

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