The sprawling Mesa Verde plateau, known for its remarkable cliff dwellings and a testament to the ingenuity of the Ancestral Pueblo people, has revealed yet another aspect of their advanced pre-Columbian culture — an extensive array of rock carvings or petroglyphs believed to function as calendars.

This new discovery, made by a research team from Jagiellonian University in Poland, could significantly reshape our understanding of life in the region around the 3rd century CE.

“I used to think that we studied this area thoroughly, conducting full-scale excavations, geophysical surveying, and digitalization,” archaeologist Radosław Palonka reflected. The recent findings, however, have altered this perception.

Approximately 800 meters above the known settlements, the petroglyphs — some spirals up to a meter in diameter — were identified as calendars that may have been used to mark special dates and track astronomical observations.

This discovery at the Castle Rock Pueblo, situated at the Colorado-Utah border, spans over 4 kilometers and provides fresh insights into the Basketmaker Era, a time when the Pueblo people lived in semi-subterranean houses and were engaged in farming, mat and basket making. “The agricultural Pueblo communities developed one of the most advanced Pre-Columbian cultures in North America,” Palonka added.

The newfound carvings, thought to commemorate significant celestial events such as solstices and equinoxes, suggest a far more populous region in the 13th century than previously estimated. This assumption is based on the complexity and extent of the discovered diagrams and calendars.

Mesa Verde National Park, encompassing the site, has long been a cultural bridge between past and present societies. The park shelters over 5,000 archaeological sites, including the massive Cliff Palace and engineered water reservoirs.

These feats demonstrate the Ancestral Pueblo people’s technical acumen and sustainable practices in a dry land with scarce surface water, as described by water engineer Kenneth R. Wright.

The Pueblo people’s departure from Mesa Verde around 1300, often attributed to drought and social strain, also forms a narrative of migration and resilience.

Dr. Scott Ortman’s research on turkey bones, language, and human remains has unveiled material evidence supporting the oral histories of the Tewa Puebloans, who believed themselves to be the descendants of the Mesa Verde inhabitants.

“This study was exciting to work on because while the notion that the Tewa have roots in the Mesa Verde region remains somewhat contentious, this test yields one more bit of evidence attesting to the plausibility of the hypothesis,” says one of the study’s co-authors, Washington State University professor Dr. Tim Kohler.

“Pueblo history is preserved and remembered in oral form,” said Patrick Cruz, one of Ortman’s graduate students and a member of the Ohkay Owingeh tribe.

With the application of LIDAR technology, the research team aims to map the area in greater detail, potentially uncovering more carvings.

As this work progresses, it contributes to a broader understanding of the Ancestral Pueblo culture, which not only endured but also bequeathed a rich legacy manifested in modern Pueblo communities.

The Mesa Verde plateau continues to be a place where the past resonates, offering visitors a profound connection to those who once meticulously charted the stars. “These sites aren’t just evidence of a long-vanished society,” Dr. Ortman notes, encapsulating the significance of the find, “They are the history of modern people.”

Relevant articles:
– Spirals Carved Into Colorado Rocks Thousands of Years Ago Could Be Ancient Calendars, ScienceAlert, Dec 24, 2023
– Mesa Verde’s “Lost” People, mycoloradoparks.com
– Discovery of ‘calendar’ rock carvings from Ancestral Pueblo in US Southwest surpasses ‘wildest expectations’, Live Science
– How did ancient engineers of Mesa Verde harness water?, asce.org