In the late 1200's the people who created the massive series of cliff dwellings in Southwestern Colorado, the Anasazi, vanished leaving only the silent monuments to what surely was a great society. These incredible ruins carved in giant alcoves of rock are North America's greatest archaeological treasures. Despite decades of study we are no closer to understanding why these people went to such an extreme to build these complex architectural wonders and why after 1000 years of living on the plateau they suddenly left.

Much is now being said about the Anasazi depleting their environment, thus leading to warfare and famine, ultimately leading to their downfall. However, climate data has indicated a severe drought hit the area of the southwest and lasted decades. The Anasazi, masters at making the most of the sparse landscape perhaps could sustain their society no longer and scattered to other regions of the southwest. Whether or not the Anasazi did bring about their own downfall through mismanagement of the environment-as we are currently doing-one thing is clear- When our culture falls, our monuments will not be as beautiful.