Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
In the high desert of southwest Colorado, below well-known Mesa Verde,
about 164,000 acres containing more than 6,000 known archaeological
sites have been protected by the year 2000 National Monument Presidential
designation. The monument contains the largest concentration of archaeological sites
in the nation.
New
Photo Galleries: Lowry
Ruin | Sand
Canyon Ruins | Yucca House Ruins
Photo Gallery: Anasazi
Heritage Center Museum and Escalante Pueblo Ruin
3 MB PowerPoint: Anasazi Heritage Center
Painted Hand Pueblo
Painted Hand Pueblo, built about 800 years ago, is a
village site consisting of about 20 rooms, some faint rock art, and a
magnificent stone tower. Deep soils suitable for dryland farming supported
Ancestral Pebloan populatons on the Great Sage Plain, between Cortez,
Colorado, and Monticello, Utah. Painted Had Pueblo is lcated off BLM
road 4531, en route to the Cutthroat
Castle unit of Hovenweep
National Monument. , or about 17 miles from highway 461 and Pleasant
View, Colorado, over 30 miles from the Anasazi Heritage Center near
Dolores. Access to the ruins and rock art includes
a step trail descending a cliff face. The tower is visible from an
overview also featuring a grand view of Rocky Mountain ranges.
The stone masonry of the Painted Hand Pueblo tower is particularly
well-crafted.
Finger impressions remain visible in the adobe mortar.
External Links
BLM: Canyon of the Ancients NM - Resource
Management Plan
