Historical marker at Far View Tower, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. "The View from a Thriving Community. This small pueblo with a tower was the heart of the Far View farming community. Soils are relatively deep and fertile on this part of the mesa, but the people continually worked to improve their land. Hundreds of check dams can be found in the area, built across shallow drainages to catch and retain moisture and soil over time. Small terraced fields were common at mesa-top farms even after many of the Ancestral Pueblo people moved their homes into the cliff alcoves starting around AD 1200. The two-story round tower here was built about AD 1200. At least 60 towers are present in archeological sites in Mesa Verde. In some locations, the towers commanded an expansive view of the surrounding countryside. When the Far View area was heavily cultivated, would most trees have been cut for fuel or building materials? If so, this tower may have offered residents good views of the entire farming community and the landscape and communities beyond."
Image credit: Holly Hayes
