THE AMERICAS: NORTH AMERICAN
CLIFF DWELLINGS AND
STRUCTURES
Angela Ngo
Arch 115-02 Survey of Architecture I
Fall, 2007
Arch 155-37/38: Adel Al-Zahrani
Structure and Materials
The Anasazi used materials found in nature to build their structures. The first
buildings were pit houses that were dug into the ground. Eventually they moved
above ground, and finally, they settled within the cliffs of Chaco Canyon. These cliff
dwellings and kivas (circular forms) were constructed of sandstone, mud, water, and
ponderosa pine because these resources were readily available. Sandstone was
shaped into building blocks, mud and water
was used as a mortar, and ponderosa pine
supported the floors and roofs of the
structures as well as joined the walls and
served as lintels for doors. No single wall
was identical to another; every inch of each
building was unique. Kivas were dug into
the ground or built behind rectangular walls
and packed with earth. Inside was a fire pit,
a short wall to deflect its heat, and a small
Natural materials
hole (referred to as a sipapu) that represented an entrance to the spirit underworld.
Amazingly, these structures were built only by the use of manual labor and stone
tools. Stone axes were used to cut logs and to chip pieces of sandstone into blocks.
Over the centuries, the plaster coatings of mud have been worn away by the
weather, but in general, the structures have been well preserved due to the cliff
overhangs that protect them from the wind and rain. These structures can still be
seen today in almost the same form as they were built.
Form and Space
The cliff dwellings and kivas were built into the natural contours of Chaco Canyon’s
walls. Because of the
cliffs, the heights of
the
buildings
limited;
the
houses
were
stories.
look
Plan of Pueblo Benito; flat side aligned with the sun and moon
these
The
and
were
tallest
five
natural
color
of
structures
blended in with the site around them. Some villages and towns were oriented with
the north-south axis. In the
layout of Pueblo Bonito, the
sun, moon, and their cycles
were aligned with its flat side.
For Mesa Verde, many of the
houses were built on the
south-facing walls; during the
Mesa Verde
day, the weather would be cool, but in the afternoon, they received heat from the
setting sun. The position was also beneficial in the winter because the low sun
provided heat.
The design featured multiple massing. Separate families lived in their own houses as
part of a small village.
All the shapes used were either rectilinear or circular.
Housing units were orthogonal while kivas were cylindrical. Each unit was built
vertically upwards, while individual units comprised the horizontal massing.
The interior and exterior were made of the same material and were the same shape.
Usually, the inside of a house was plastered with a thin layer of mud to create a
smooth surface which was sometimes decorated with color. Within the houses, the
most
important
spaces
were the highest floors. At
Sleeping/
Cooking
the top was a cooking
room; beneath it was a
Sleeping
sleeping room, and at the
Storage
lowest levels were storage
rooms
because
natural
light did not enter into the
space.
Sleeping
Storage
Storage
Natural Light entering a house
Cultural Significance and Interpretation
The Anasazi had been living in the Four Corners region (where New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, and Colorado come to a point) since 350 CE. It wasn’t until 1200 CE
that they began building cliff dwellings. Initially they had been living in pit houses
and above ground, but in cases such as Mesa Verde, they migrated into the cliffs to
provide more land
for farming above.
Ground Line
Dirt
In
addition
to
Logs
protecting
the
citizens from the
weather,
protected
Section cut of an Anasazi kiva
it
also
them
from their enemies.
These houses and kivas were all part of the villages they belonged to. Houses were
used for cooking, sleeping, and storage. The inside of kivas served as a place for
community meetings and religious ceremonies. The roof of a kiva was used as a
dance platform that men would perform on. The purpose of the towers has never
been defined; some theorize that they were used to send signals and watch for
visitors, and others believe they might have had spiritual significance. Some entire
villages may have been designed to incorporate religion or solar cycles (such as the
aforementioned Pueblo Benito). Because the Anasazi abandoned their villages
around 1300CE, many questions are still left unanswered. Hundreds of years later,
their cliff dwellings were discovered, and eventually, many sites were made into
national parks which are open to the community today.
Annotated Bibliography
“Anasazi: Architecture.” Manitou Cliff Dwellings. 11 June 2004. 26 November 2007.
<http://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/arch.htm>.
Arnold, Caroline. The Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde. Hong Kong: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1992.
The Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde was one of the most informative books on
cliff dwellings. The book is very easy to read and understand, especially for those
who are unfamiliar with the Anasazi. She describes their history as well as how Mesa
Verde became a national park. There are numerous photographs that accompany
and support the text; pictures range from artifacts to materials to the site itself.
Bassett, Carol Ann. “Roots of Regionalism: ‘Great Stone Cities’: Pueblos and CliffDwellings of the Anasazi.” Architecture March 1984: p. 98-100.
Haldeman, Peter. “Revisiting Mesa Verde: The National Park Sets a New Cultural
Center in Motion.” Architectural Digest June 2004: p. 70-74.
Peter Haldeman’s article is packed with relevant information about Mesa Verde. He
gives some history of the Anasazi and how they ended up in the cliffs. The most
important details were the materials; Haldeman describes what the Anasazi used to
construct their buildings starting back with pit houses, then above ground, then in
cliffs.
Nabokov, Peter and Robert Easton. Native American Architecture. New York:
Oxford University Press, Inc., 1989.
Nabokov and Easton’s book on Native American Architecture thoroughly describes
all the different kinds of cliff dwellings. They elaborate on the history of how the
Anasazi ended up in the Four Corners region. They also go into detail about various
tribes and how their architecture differed from each other. There are many
photographs showing specific elements and materials. In addition, they include
numerous diagrams to show the contrast of different villages.
“Picture of Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.” Mesa Verde National Park
Picture. PlanetWare. 28 Nov. 2007
<http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/mesa-verde-national-park-coloradocomv5.jpg>.
Scully, Vincent. Pueblo Architecture of the Southwest: A Photographic Essay.
Meriden: The Meriden Gravure Company, 1971.
The purpose of this book is to present the beauty of cliff dwellings. This book
contains many beautiful photographs, but for the purposes of research, it contains
little information about the history and architecture of cliff dwellings. The beginning
introduction contained some facts; however, the majority of the book is
photographs with captions.
Shady. “Gila Cliff Dwellings, Silver City, New Mexico.” Gila Cliff Dwellings. 1996.
Lost Destinations. 28 Nov. 2007
<http://www.lostdestinations.com/gila/gila062.jpg>.