Via the southwest corner of Colorado I was driving from New Mexico to Utah. “Mesa Verde National Park” the sign read as I drove by. Everyone I’d spoken to about Puebloan society had mentioned this place as one of two pinnacles of their civilization, Chaco being the other. “Hundreds of cliff dwellings” I had been told. “Oh to heck with my schedule,” I thought and started the long drive into the park.
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Mission accomplished. I’ve travelled throughout much of New Mexico and have developed an understanding of and appreciation for the region. Initially I thought I’d be focused on the geography because of the character of Santa Fe and Taos. It wasn’t long before the pre-Spanish indigenous cultures caught my eye, primarily because of how the State’s character today is influenced by the Puebloans. Surprisingly, the third theme that came through as significant was space technology from rockets to spaceships to UFOs!
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