Which UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United States preserves Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings such as Cliff Palace?

Mesa Verde National Park is the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United States that preserves Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings such as Cliff Palace.

Located in southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde contains hundreds of archaeological sites, including cliff dwellings built beneath overhanging rock ledges. Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America, while Balcony House and Long House are other well-known examples. The settlements were constructed and occupied by Ancestral Pueblo communities, especially during the thirteenth century.

The dwellings were not simply natural caves. Their residents built rooms from sandstone blocks and mortar, used kivas for ceremonial purposes, and developed communities across the mesa tops and canyon walls. A common mix-up is treating “Anasazi” as the preferred modern name; many Indigenous communities and scholars now favor “Ancestral Pueblo” because “Anasazi” is a Navajo term often translated as “ancient enemy.”