Colorado
Ruin closed at Mesa Verde due to crack
Posted: Aug 3, 2012 1:13 PM by Greg Boyce
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (AP) - Part of Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park has been closed to visitors because of structural problems threatening the southern half of the cliff dwelling.
The park announced Friday that the crack has closed Kiva F, a 13th century circular structure. Wooden braces are shoring up the kiva while archeologists make plans to stabilize it.
In a statement, park officials said the crack in the back of Cliff Palace led to the discovery that a wall was leaning into the structure. The buildings in the southern part of the palace are built on a steeply-pitched alcove floor and have begun to slide downslope.
The park in southwestern Colorado is home to 600 cliff dwellings.
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