Spruce Tree House
TRAIL GUIDE
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO
10¢
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This guide booklet has been prepared to help you enjoy oneof the larger cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park.The numbered stations along the front of the dwelling arepoints of interest which are explained by the numbered paragraphsand illustrations in this booklet.
You are welcome to use this booklet. Please place it inthe box at the other end of the ruin as you leave. If you wishto purchase the booklet, please drop 10 cents in the coin box.
Please do not climb or stand on the walls or crawl through any of the doorways.
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COVER: North end of Spruce Tree House.
Spruce Tree House from the south end.
SPRUCE TREE HOUSE
Station 1.
Spruce Tree House is the third largest cliffdwelling in Mesa Verde National Park. It is built in a naturalcave 216 feet in length, 89 feet in greatest depth, and 60 feetin greatest height. The complete dwelling contained about114 rooms. Most of these were living rooms, but there weremany storerooms and 8 ceremonial rooms. It is thought thatbetween 200 and 250 people may have lived in this cliff houseat one time. It was occupied from about A.D. 1200 to, orshortly before, A.D. 1300.
The First Court
Station 2.
Spruce Tree House is typical of the largercliff dwellings found in the Mesa Verde. It consists of severalgroups or blocks of rooms around open courts. Within eachcourt is an underground ceremonial room called a kiva (Key-vah).Originally, there were flat roofs on these kivas. Theseroofs formed the courtyard floor and provided work space fordaily activities. The rooms around the court were used primarilyfor sleeping and storage and for shelter against thecold of winter.
The rooms are generally small, averaging 6 by 8 feet and5½ feet high. Floors and roofs of the second and third storieswere made of large poles covered with smaller sticks, thenbark or grass, and a thick layer of clay. A few of the roomshad fireplaces but most were without interior light or heat.Probably one family occupied a room.
Compare the picture of the First Court with the dwellingto locate the following:
A. These are unshaped building stones. Most of the3building blocks used in the dwelling were carefully shapedby the Indians before they were set in place. The walls werebuilt of stone with adobe clay as mortar, much as we wouldbuild with brick. When a wall was finished, it was oftencoated with a layer of clay plaster.
B. These were storage rooms.
C. Each room had individual doorways