When I was a young feller I would see articles and photos of the Cave Dwellers of southwest Colorado. I was totally fascinated with seeing and learning more of those early people and their rock homes. I really hoped to see the sites someday. Years passed and I remained interested, but had realized I may never make it to actually view the homes and country.
However, this was the year! I finally made the journey to the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings. 
The Mesa Verde is a national park. The park was established in 1906. Initially local farmers began coming upon the sites in the 1880 time frame. The acreage is vast. sad to say, The property has had much burned over land mass. the last one occurred in 2012. Remnant of snarled and skeletal snags can still be visible from the fire. the fire had burned so hot that the soil has been void of the needed nutrients to aid in plant and tree growth. Today one can see many Pinion Pines and Junipers in the area.
The Indians who have been credited for living at the stone homes built in the cliffs are Pueblo Tribes. Many may have read in books or saw documentaries where the tribe was called the Anasazi People. However, this is a Navajo term.
Sagebrush Lizard (I think)
It is believed the Pueblo Indians lived at these sites for over 700 years. Interestingly, they seemed to have left the sites in the later 1200 time frame. Why did they leave? For me many possibilities could be possible for their departure. Such possibilities could have been disease, warfare, absorption or capture into other tribes, soil depletion leading to crop failures… the truth is we can’t say with one hundred percent certainty what may have occurred during the 1200 era.
Burned over areas
A subspecies of a Yucca. The Indians used these for basketry.
The Pueblo natives were farmers and hunters. Their primary crops were corn, squash and beans. Their has, also, been evidence of trading with other tribes. The people were good with making baskets and pottery. Many intact pieces had been found in the dry caves protected from the elements.
Some sites have petroglyphs on existing stone. Petroglyphs are carved pictorials on the stones walls.
Today this area has over 4,500 archeological sites with 600 of them being cave dwelling sites.
To learn more see: http://www.nps.gov/meve
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Larry A. Smail's Blog 
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