Predating the construction of Mesa Verde’s famous cliff dwellings, settlements like Coyote Village were built on mesa tops by Ancestral Puebloans who settled in modern-day southwest Colorado. Coyote Village was part of the Far View community, which first broke ground sometime around 800 CE. Far View was one of the most populous areas in Mesa Verde prior to its abandonment sometime around the 13th century. Click the above image to enlarge, click to view my high-resolution photo gallery, or click to browse my high-definition video collections.