Peering into the alcoves from which Mesa Verde's puebloan cliff
dwellings seem to seep upward is oddly reminiscent of peering
into treasures encased within a Faberge Egg. Both are
unexpected, intricate, oddly out of place and yet perfectly at
home. The story of the Anasazi, or "Ancient Ones," who inhabited
these dwellings remains steeped in uncertainties and lends to
the mystique that has made this ancient civilization so
fascinating. The only things archaeologists know for certain is
that the Anasazi originally inhabited the mesa top, and in A.D.
1200, began colonizing the alcoves and shelves of the mesa only
to abruptly leave again in A.D. 1300. All that remains are
artifacts and intricately built dwellings -- sort of a land-
bound, and discovered, Atlantis. Visitors to Mesa Verde can
explore the dwellings only via guided tour. Touring the Balcony
House, the largest of the dwellings, requires a 100-ft. descent
into the canyon, climbing over 70 feet of ladders and stairs,
and crawling through a 12-ft. tunnel