Many of the native ruins in Utah are dwellings or buildings created by the ancestral Puebloan people (formerly called Anasazi). They lived and farmed in Utah roughly 2,000 years ago. The ruins and artifacts they left behind has enabled us to learn a lot about these people. For instance, we know that they grew maize, beans and squash. They lived with domesticated dogs and raised turkeys. Around A.D. 1300, the weather conditions made growing crops difficult, and the ancestral Puebloan people migrated south. We can still see evidence of these native people in several parts of the state. Here are just a few photos of the ruins that stand today.
- Granaries - Canyonlands National Park
Tom Kelly/flickr The granaries scattered across Canyonlands National Park are evidence of the ancestral Puebloans’ presence. These photos were taken near Aztec Butte.
Tom Kelly/flickr
- Edge of the Cedars State Park
Rob Lee/flickr The Edge of the Cedars State Park was built on a site formerly inhabited by many ancestral Puebloan people. The museum offers one of the world’s largest collections of native pottery and the main dwelling is surprisingly intact for its age.
teofilo/flickr
Utah State Parks/YouTube You can even climb down into a restored kiva, once used for Puebloan rituals. View this short video for a full explanation of the offerings at Edge of the Cedars State Park.
- Hovenweep National Monument
Don Barrett/flickr Hovenweep National Monument sits near the Utah/Colorado border in the southeast corner of Utah. As many as 2,500 ancestral Puebloan people lived here between A.D. 1200 and 1300.
Ken Lund/flickr Hovenweep Castle was given its name by 19th century explorers who understandably saw a resemblance to ancient castles in Europe, but the structure probably wasn’t used as a single-family residence. The slots coincide with a solar calendar and line up with the sun perfectly during winter and summer solstice, so the building may have had a ritual purpose.
Ken Lund/flickr
J. Stephen Conn/flickr The original purpose of the towers at Hovenweep is unclear. They have very small windows and limited access.
- Anasazi State Park
rjcox/flickr Anasazi State Park sits on the ancient “Coombs” site, which was occupied from A.D. 1050 to 1200.
The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company/flickr This is a replica of a six-room dwelling.
- False Kiva, Canyonlands
Davide Bedin/flickr False Kiva is so named because it’s uncertain whether this circular collections of stones was used for religious purposes (which would make it a kiva), or something else. It’s located in a remote region of Canyonlands National Park.
- Comb Ridge
Doc Searls/Creative Commons Comb Ridge is an 80-mile long monocline, or fold in the earth, that extends from the Four Corners region of Utah into Arizona. The area contains many dwelling sites left from ancestral Puebloan people.
snowpeak /via Commons House on Fire Cliff Dwelling is found along Comb Ridge.
Laurascudder via Commons Monarch Cave Ruin is also found at Comb Ridge.
- Fallen Roof, Cedar Mesa Area
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fallen_Roof_Ruin,_UT.jpg#/media/File:Fallen_Roof_Ruin,_UT.jpg The Cedar Mesa are contains hundreds of dwellings.
- Moonhouse Ruin, Cedar Mesa Area
Shaan Hurley/flickr Moonhouse is another dwelling at Cedar Mesa.
Shaan Hurley/flickr Here’s a close-up view of Moonhouse.
If you visit any of these sites, please be careful to do your part to preserve them. Don’t climb on walls or enter areas that are restricted. There’s many other sites around the state that contain Native American ruins. Do you know of others? Share your info (and photos!) with us below!
Tom Kelly/flickr
The granaries scattered across Canyonlands National Park are evidence of the ancestral Puebloans’ presence. These photos were taken near Aztec Butte.
Rob Lee/flickr
The Edge of the Cedars State Park was built on a site formerly inhabited by many ancestral Puebloan people. The museum offers one of the world’s largest collections of native pottery and the main dwelling is surprisingly intact for its age.
teofilo/flickr
Utah State Parks/YouTube
You can even climb down into a restored kiva, once used for Puebloan rituals. View this short video for a full explanation of the offerings at Edge of the Cedars State Park.
Don Barrett/flickr
Hovenweep National Monument sits near the Utah/Colorado border in the southeast corner of Utah. As many as 2,500 ancestral Puebloan people lived here between A.D. 1200 and 1300.
Ken Lund/flickr
Hovenweep Castle was given its name by 19th century explorers who understandably saw a resemblance to ancient castles in Europe, but the structure probably wasn’t used as a single-family residence. The slots coincide with a solar calendar and line up with the sun perfectly during winter and summer solstice, so the building may have had a ritual purpose.
J. Stephen Conn/flickr
The original purpose of the towers at Hovenweep is unclear. They have very small windows and limited access.
rjcox/flickr
Anasazi State Park sits on the ancient “Coombs” site, which was occupied from A.D. 1050 to 1200.
The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company/flickr
This is a replica of a six-room dwelling.
Davide Bedin/flickr
False Kiva is so named because it’s uncertain whether this circular collections of stones was used for religious purposes (which would make it a kiva), or something else. It’s located in a remote region of Canyonlands National Park.
Doc Searls/Creative Commons
Comb Ridge is an 80-mile long monocline, or fold in the earth, that extends from the Four Corners region of Utah into Arizona. The area contains many dwelling sites left from ancestral Puebloan people.
snowpeak /via Commons
House on Fire Cliff Dwelling is found along Comb Ridge.
Laurascudder via Commons
Monarch Cave Ruin is also found at Comb Ridge.
The Cedar Mesa are contains hundreds of dwellings.
Shaan Hurley/flickr
Moonhouse is another dwelling at Cedar Mesa.
Here’s a close-up view of Moonhouse.
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