Ancestral Puebloans (Cliff Dwellers)

I am tucked into the side of a tall, red rock cliff, like a secret pocket in a giant's coat. My walls are made of stone and my windows look out over a deep canyon. From here, you can see everything. Birds fly by and the sun warms my stones. I am a cliff dwelling, a very special home built a long, long time ago. I have been here for many, many years, watching the world change below me. I am a secret home in the rocks, waiting to tell you my story.

Wonderful people built me with their clever hands. They were called the Ancestral Pueblo people. They started building me around the year 1190. They stacked stones carefully, like you stack your blocks, to make strong walls for families to live in. Families lived inside my rooms, and children played games in the sunshine right outside my doors. They climbed tall wooden ladders to get up to their homes. Can you imagine climbing a ladder to get to your front door. Down below in the canyon, they grew yummy corn, beans, and squash to eat. For over one hundred years, I was filled with the happy sounds of laughter and singing.

But then, things changed. Around the year 1300, the rain stopped coming for a very long time. The plants could not grow, and it was hard to find food. The people had to move to find new places to live. I became very quiet. For a long, long time, only the wind visited me. Today, you can visit me. I am protected in a special place called a park. I love when new friends come to see my strong walls. I hold the memories of the amazing people who built me, and I share their story with you. I remind everyone how we can build wonderful homes and live together.