The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is offering a pair of new educational tours designed to help visitors of all ages enhance and expand upon a visit to Mesa Verde National Park, and to give local residents a better understanding of the incredible ancient history to be found here in their own backyards.
These guided two- and four-hour tours are based out of the Crow Canyon Connection, inside the Colorado Welcome Center at 928 E. Main St. in Cortez. Transportation during the tours is provided.
The “Beyond Mesa Verde” tour will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays. Tickets are $75 for adults, $60 for youths ages 10-17, and free for children under 10.Immerse yourself in the archaeological landscape beyond Mesa Verde National Park. Discover how the Chaco Phenomenon (A.D. 950–1150) transformed the region with monumental buildings, extensive trade networks, and exotic artifacts. The tour begins at the Colorado Welcome Center with an introduction to current-day Montezuma County before traveling to the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum. A guide will provide a specialized tour of the exhibits. A 1.3 mile walk will go to Escalante Pueblo, a 12th-century Chaco outlier. From the hilltop is a 360-view of the high desert, where participants will learn about the ancient environment from Mesa Verde to the Bears Ears. The exploration of the Chaco Phenomenon continues with a visit to Crow Canyon’s active archaeological dig, where archaeologists and citizen scientists are excavating two Chaco great houses. Participants will meet the archaeologists and walk away with a deeper understanding of the area’s rich history. The tour concludes with an overview of Crow Canyon’s current research and education initiatives.
The “Excavation Site Tour” will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for youths 10-17 and free for children younger than 10.Tourists will learn about the impact of the Chaco Phenomenon (A.D. 950–1150), and discover one of the densest concentrations of Chaco great houses in the Mesa Verde region by experiencing a working archaeological dig site and chatting with the archaeologists overseeing this excavation. The tour begins with a quick introduction at the Colorado Welcome Center and an overview of current day Montezuma County. A guide will take participants on a journey through time beginning 12,000 years ago and leading up to the Pueblo II period (A.D. 950–1150). There will be an exclusive tour of Crow Canyon’s current dig site – the Northern Chaco Outliers Project, where participants will learn how archaeology and American Indian knowledge is shaping our knowledge of past and present communities.
For more information about the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, visit www.CrowCanyon.org.
