September Theme: The Ancient Ones

Our region is filled with dwellings abandoned long ago by Ancestral Puebloan, Fremont, Navajo, Apache, Ute, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Sioux and other American Indian tribes. Sites such as Cedar Mesa, Chaco Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Bandelier, Hovenweep and Mesa Verde stand as reminders of their presence, preserved in the arid desert southwest. Further north, signs of habitation by Indian tribes are less obvious but petroglyphs, settlement sites and battlefields are available for those who are willing to travel off the beaten paths. This month, show us your images of places left by our predecessors: the "Ancient Ones."

To get things started, here is a photo I took last September at the Holly District of Hovenweep National Monument in Colorado. This is a remote site but is well worth the trip for the opportunity to see examples of the unusual, masterfully-crafted towers of the Ancestral Puebloan people.

Cool image Joshua, I really need to get back there again!

Another place I REALLY want to get back to, Chaco Canyon. Spectacular place! Here's a nice sunset at Pueblo Bonito.

Both of those places look great, definitely makes me want to visit. I was extremely lucky to get this sunset on a visit to False Kiva with Jack Garrett.

I also finally made it to Mesa Verde this year, if only for 1 sunset.

Cedar Mesa

Cedar Mesa - 2

Passage

Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde. For one night each at the beginning and end of Mesa Verde National Park's Centenial celebration they lit up Cliff Palace with lanterns, and according to rangers, will never do it again at Cliff Palace. It was a pretty neat experience to see ruins lit up in soft light and one could almost imagine how Cliff Palace looked at night when inhabited, lit by fires. This is a 3 shot panorama.

Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, NM

Grainery, Grand Gulch Primitive Area, Utah

Man, is there ever some talent on this forum!

Ghost of an Ancient One....or Tourist Going Up a Ladder in a Kiva at Mesa Verde NP

Under Half Moon Arch, Hidden Valley, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

At the foot of a scalloped cliff face, Hidden Valley, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

"Doorways", Chaco Canyon. As Brent says, it is a remarkable place.

My apologies for the small (and hopefully non-intrusive) copyright notice; this is one of my more-sold images, so I'm a little paranoid about it.

It's nice to finally have an image that works well in the response format, and not a panorama that's too small to see...

@Scott,
The illuminated Mesa Verde looks like it would have been amazing to see. That image should make a wonderful print.

I have nothing to contribute this month, but WOW!!! I am loving the work from you all! More, more!

Here's a kiva near Grand Gulch, Cedar Mesa.

Oooooo, this is a good one this month! Awesome entries so far. This is a pictograph that I took in Picture Canyon which is located in the Comanche Grasslands in SE Colorado.

This is a shot of a section of Newspaper Rock on the way to Canyonlands in Utah. A stunning collection of peteroglyphs. At first I was bummed by the heavy shadow cast on my shot, but its resemblance to a mountain silhouette made me like it.

Everything posted is great! John, my favorite of yours is still Beyond Here Lies Nothing....it has it all.
Joe Rogers

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site. Gila Bend, AZ.

Wow! I thought I had some neat images but this body of work makes my stuff look like snapshots. I think the mods are gonna struggle with this one. Good luck guys!

Ancient View

I still owe Bret Edge a milkshake for this one.

You guys are killin' it!

Some incredible shots so far! This is from today right here in Tooele County, Utah.

Tons of amazing work here! Makes me realize that my archeology material is pretty weak, and living in New Mexico I don't have a good excuse. But here's one from near Santa Fe, a reminder that the Puebloan world was pretty cosmopolitan, with trade routes for exotic luxury goods like tropical birds.

And there's something about hand prints in rock art that really humanizes the past. These are Sheepeater Shoshone from the Frank Church Wilderness in Idaho.

Great sampling of excellent photography everyone! The Citadel is one of my new favorites in the Grand Gulch area, and easy to get to, too!

Topic closed...thanks for the great submission and we'll have a selection in the next day...Everybody is out shooting fall colors!