The Cliff dwellers of the Mesa Verde Paperback – September 13, 2013

Nordenskiold, a Swede, worked in the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde in 1891, shortly after the Wetherills "discovered" these structures. His excavations were more scientific than theirs (but, of course, not up to current standards). The first 112 pages describe his journey from Durango, Colorado, to the canyons and his work in the cliff dwellings. There are many excellent photographs of the cliff dwellings and sketches of floor plans (many are full page). There are also 24 full page photographic plates of human remains (2 plates) and artifacts. The information on Mesa Verde is followed by 50 pages summarizing information on other archaeological sites, the Hopi ("Moki"), customs of other Pueblo groups (of interest in discussing whether the cliff dwellers were ancestral to these groups), and on the Coronado entrada (including a long reproduction of Castaneda's account). Finally, there is an appendix with a discussion of human crania by a physical anthropologist, with many measurements; I regard this is of little modern interest. Readers should know that the plates with artifacts are grouped by the type of artifact; thus, images of the artifacts found in one site are found on many plates (a legend gives the location at which each artifact was found). This book was originally published in Swedish. The English in our versions is fluent. This review is based on the softcover reprint by the Mesa Verde Museum Association. I have not seen the recent electronic reprint, so do not know whether its text is free of errors and the illustrations are included. For those interested in the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, this book is very well worth reading, even though later archaeological work has updated some of the findings.

I liked the story telling and the visuals of early excavation of Mesa Verde. These hundreds of artifacts are finally being re-patriated to Mesa Verde. We used to deepen our understanding of the people's who lived in the mesas of Four Corners region of the Southwest. I look forward to seeing the artifacts in the museum in Colorado!

The Classic reference on Mesa Verde. Very well written and understandable although a scientific examination of Mesa Verde. Many good photos of artifacts too, with useful information. If you are interested in this time frame and these people this is a must.

The paperback edition of The Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde is text only--no illustrations. The illustrations areessential to understanding the text. We ordered a paperback from the Park Service which includes the illustrations, andabout the same price as this edition. We will discard this one.

Read this and you'll become an authority on the Ancient Ones. A great reference book from 1893 with black and white visuals. I recommend it.

Awesome book. Excellent condition. Sharing with my co-workers.

Excellent condition! The book is even better than advertised. Thanks!