Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Manitou Cave Dwellings

A magazine I found at our hotel recommending checking out the Manitou Cave Dwellings which were only about an hour from where we were staying.

The dwellings were inhabited by the Anasazi Indians who lived in the Four Corners section of the United States. In the early 1900's, one of their cave dwellings was torn down brick by brick and shipped by train to this location, rebuilt, and turned into a museum. 


In the summer, they would hang meat on the hook you see above to let it dry in the sun. In the winter, they would put stone blocks in their windows to 
keep in the heat. 





Inside the dwellings, the stones have many different colors and patterns.



Morning View

This was a Kiva. Below explains more.




Just outside of the dwellings, they would have a storage hut where they would grind corn and preserve food. 

The roof is an elaborate work of sticks.

Grinding corn was back breaking work and took almost all day long. Since they would grind with stone, small pieces would end up in their meals slowly destroying their teeth. 

"Horno"


Some of their tools to cook with and hunt.

Anasazi skulls.  


This had to hurt!

Come to think of it, I've never seen an Indian dentist....... 

Still don't really understand the point of this but the Indians aren't the only culture to do this.

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