The palisade was built of upright poles, with branches probably woven between them.
STOP #12
A palisade, or fence of posts and brush, partially enclosed the plaza of Two Raven House. Archeologists speculate that such structures may have been windbreaks to shelter the plaza or even barriers to keep Anasazi turkeys in (or out) of the village. Although palisades have been discovered at only a few other sites in the Southwest, they may have been common features of Anasazi villages. Archeologists seldom have the time (or money) to spend stripping away the topsoil in search of the telltale rows of postholes.
STOP #13
Between 1280 and 1300, the Anasazi left Mesa Verde and moved south. Some of the people may have joined the Hopi in northern Arizona, but most probably settled among the Pueblos in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. Archeologists are still not certain why the Anasazi abandoned much of their homeland at this time.
Drought conditions, which began around 1276 and persisted for nearly a generation, may have been partly to blame. Yet, the Anasazi had survived several previous droughts. By 1280, however, the people may have been facing other serious problems in their environment, including exhausted soil and erosion.
Even after a century of research, mysteries remain....
STOP #14
These stones are the remains of toppled walls. They were removed from in and around the rooms during excavation.