Standing on top of the mesa, looking down at the Cliff Palace,
it is difficult to not feel like a scientist looking down at a
crucible through a microscope, a scope that cuts through the
dimension of time along with distance. Tucked into the natural
alcove just below the precipitous edge of the mesa, is a magical
little village that was inhabited by the Anasazi not too long
ago, just over eight centuries. It is a touch difficult to call
them ruins for they are well preserved in the arid climate of
the southwest, it almost feels like if I wait a little more, I
will see Anasazi spilling out of the adobe houses and this
ancient village will yet again be agog with activity. The
Anasazi built this city in the 12th century, lived here for a
little over 80 years and then out of the blue, a mystery that
has yet to be deterministically explained, evacuated it. A
series of steps snake down lazily to the abandoned village, a
luxury Anasazi did not enjoy. They employed hand and toes hold
dug into the face of the cliff th