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Series Code: ASB
Program Code: ASB000114A
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00:04 And comes from the DVD series, "Awesome Science"
00:09 [music playing] 00:10 NOAH JUSTICE: In the southwest part 00:12 of the United States in an area known as Four Corners, 00:15 there lies three different regions where 00:17 ancient dwellings can be found. 00:20 Known as Mesa Verde National Park, Chaco ruins, 00:24 and the Aztec ruins, these amazing archaeological 00:27 locations can be toured and explored by your whole family. 00:31 But as you view these locations, questions arise. 00:35 Who made them? 00:36 Where did these people come from? 00:38 And where did they go? 00:40 Biological evolution maintains that humans evolved over 00:44 several hundred thousand years descending from apes. 00:47 And only about 5,000 to 10,000 years ago 00:50 did civilizations arise where cities like these were built. 00:55 But there are big challenges with this view. 00:59 According to the genealogies in the Bible, 01:01 man was created by God about 6,000 years ago. 01:05 Then, a global flood wiped out everyone 01:08 except for Noah and his family. 01:11 The earth was repopulated over the last 4,350 years. 01:16 As the population grew, it diversified 01:18 into different people groups that we observe today. 01:22 Evolutionists like Darwin and Haeckel 01:24 often claimed that some races evolved at different speeds 01:28 from others, and some are more favored than others. 01:31 This view has caused genocide of millions in this century alone. 01:37 Plus, evolutionists have a very difficult time 01:39 explaining how the 7,000 different languages developed 01:43 all over the world. 01:46 Originally, there was one language. 01:48 But we also learned that distinct languages came by God 01:52 at the Tower of Babel through a supernatural act 01:55 of God's judgment. 01:57 Which one is true, and which one do we trust? 02:01 All this and more next on "Awesome Science." 02:05 [music playing] 02:10 "Awesome Science" takes you on a field trip 02:13 to some of the most amazing geologic and historic sites 02:16 around the world, where we use the Bible as our history 02:20 guidebook to interpret what we see, 02:22 that the Bible can be trusted and empirical science falls 02:26 in line with the biblical account of creation, 02:28 the fall, and the flood. 02:31 Science, it's awesome. 02:38 [music playing] 02:44 In the southwest part of the United 02:46 States is an incredible landscape 02:48 of canyons, mountain chains, and high plateaus. 02:53 Among these astounding geologic locations, 02:56 remnants of past civilizations can be discovered. 03:00 One of these regions is Mesa Verde National Park. 03:04 Mesa Verde is located in southwestern Colorado, midway 03:08 between Cortez and Mancos, off of us I-60. 03:13 It occupies 52,485 acres near the Four Corners region 03:19 of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. 03:24 It contains more than 4,000 sites and 600 cliff dwellings. 03:28 It is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States. 03:33 Mesa Verde is Spanish for green table. 03:37 And looking around, it's easy to see how the area got its name. 03:41 Through much of the year, the mesas 03:43 are full of green trees, brush, and flowers. 03:48 The park is best known for structures 03:50 such as Cliff Palace, thought to be the largest cliff 03:53 dwelling in North America. 03:56 In addition to the cliff dwellings, 03:58 there are many structures on the plateau to explore. 04:02 These habitations are thought to have 04:04 been occupied by ancient natives called the Anasazi about 04:08 1,000 years ago. 04:09 But for some mysterious reason, the people living 04:12 here left, never to return. 04:15 Perhaps they discovered a nice beach 04:17 on the coast of California and started a coffee shop. 04:21 Well, probably not, but you never know. 04:24 It wasn't until the late 1800s that they 04:26 were rediscovered by trappers. 04:29 Then, in 1906, the National Park was established 04:32 by President Theodore Roosevelt. The road through the park 04:36 is very scenic, but it also has sharp curves and steep grades. 04:41 The guided tours are a fantastic way 04:43 to explore the cliff dwellings. 04:45 But keep in mind, they may not be the best terrain 04:48 for little kids. 04:50 Still, there are plenty of sights on the mesas to explore. 04:54 The park is open all year. 04:56 But the best times are in the spring and fall 04:59 when the weather is cooler. 05:01 Mesa Verde was originally set up as an archaeological preserve. 05:05 So hiking within the park is restricted to the six marked 05:08 and paved trails. 05:10 All the trails vary in length and level of ability. 05:13 Some are seven miles long, some are steep, 05:16 and some require climbing ladders 05:18 to get into the dwellings. 05:20 Most of all, this park offers some great insight 05:23 about early man's expansion across the landscape 05:27 after the global flood. 05:33 There are about 600 cliff dwellings preserved 05:36 at Mesa Verde National Park. 05:38 Structures range in size from one room storage units 05:42 to villages of more than 150 rooms. 05:46 They're built near springs, so the people 05:48 living there had access to water. 05:51 The naturally-enclosed sites also 05:53 offered protection against both the elements and intruders. 05:57 Even though there are 600 cliff dwellings, 06:00 only four are accessible to the public. 06:03 On the southeast side of the park is the Balcony House. 06:08 With 40 rooms, it is considered a medium-sized cliff dwelling. 06:12 Only 10 sites in the park have more. 06:16 The Balcony House is a good example 06:18 of how room and passageway construction in the alcove 06:21 evolved through time as residents worked to improve 06:25 their living quarters. 06:27 Today, the tunnel, passageways, and modern 32-foot entrance 06:31 ladder are what makes it the most adventurous cliff dwelling 06:34 tour in the park. 06:36 Another cliff dwelling you can tour is the Long House. 06:40 It is considered the second largest dwelling in the park. 06:43 It can be reached by the steep, winding road following 06:47 the historic fire trail for 12 miles. 06:50 The Spruce Tree House is the third largest cliff dwelling 06:53 in the park. 06:54 It was constructed around AD 1211 and 1278. 06:59 The dwelling contains about 130 rooms and eight kivas, 07:03 or ceremonial chambers, built into a natural alcove measuring 07:08 216 feet at its greatest width and 89 feet at its greatest 07:12 depth. 07:14 It is thought to have been home for about 60 to 80 people. 07:18 This cliff dwelling was discovered in 1888 07:21 when two local ranchers chanced upon it while searching 07:24 for stray cattle. 07:26 A large tree, which they identified as a Douglas spruce, 07:29 later called Douglas fir, was found 07:31 growing from the front of the dwelling to the mesa top. 07:34 The Step House is unique because there 07:36 may be evidence of two separate occupations in the same site. 07:41 A modified basket maker site, dating to AD 626, 07:46 if this is to be trusted, is situated between the old stone 07:50 steps on the south and the large boulders on the north. 07:53 The rest of the alcove contains a masonry 07:56 Pueblo, dating to the classic Pueblo times, 07:59 dated at about AD 1226. 08:03 At over 6,000 feet, Cliff Palace is 08:05 one of the major icons of Mesa Verde. 08:10 This is the largest cliff dwelling in the park. 08:13 Recent studies show Cliff Palace contained 08:15 150 rooms and 23 kivas and had a population 08:20 of approximately 100 people. 08:23 Out of the nearly 600 cliff dwellings 08:25 concentrated between the boundaries of the park, 08:28 75% contain only one to five rooms each, 08:31 and many are single-room storage units. 08:34 If you visit Cliff Palace, you will 08:36 enter an especially large cliff dwelling 08:39 that may have had special importance to its occupants. 08:42 It is thought that Cliff Palace was 08:44 a social administrative site with high ceremonial usage. 08:48 Sandstone, mortar, and wooden beams 08:51 were the three primary construction materials 08:54 for the cliff dwellings. 08:55 The Anasazis shaped each sandstone block 08:58 using harder stones collected from the nearby river beds. 09:01 The mortar between the blocks is a mixture 09:03 of local soil, water, and ash. 09:07 Fitted in the mortar are tiny pieces 09:09 of stone called chinking. 09:11 Chinking stones filled the gaps within the mortar 09:13 and added structural stability to the walls. 09:17 Even though the cliff dwellings were their main living 09:19 quarters, the people still continued 09:21 to farm on top of the mesa and keep their above dwellings 09:24 in order for nearly a century. 09:31 As we study these amazing cliff dwellings, 09:33 it's only natural to wonder, who built them? 09:37 Archaeological research has shown 09:39 they were made by ancestral Puebloans, also called 09:42 the Anasazi. 09:43 Anasazi comes from the Navajo language 09:46 and means the ancient ones or enemy ancestors. 09:50 They have also been called the Clovis People, 09:52 theorized to be some of the first people to live in 09:55 North America. 09:56 Some archaeologists have proposed 09:58 that these ancient people migrated from Asia 10:01 during the time of Genghis Khan. 10:03 This may be the reason why many of their cities 10:06 are walled, in fear of these conquerors. 10:09 They inhabited Mesa Verde for more than 700 years, 10:12 from 550 AD to 1300 AD. 10:16 It is thought they primarily lived on the mesa tops 10:19 for a good portion of that time before building the cliff 10:22 dwellings. 10:23 It was not until the final 75 to 100 years 10:27 that they constructed and lived in the cliff dwellings 10:30 for which Mesa Verde is known. 10:32 It was a tough place to make a living. 10:34 Cold, snowy winters gave way to hot, dry summers 10:38 with periods of relatively abundant moisture. 10:41 But there appears to be sporadic and sometimes long 10:45 periods of drought. 10:47 The occupants lived in simple pit houses 10:49 with a hearth, fire hole, and room for storage. 10:53 They usually entered through the roof by the way of a ladder. 10:57 The fact that the house was partially underground helped 11:00 keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. 11:03 These people came together in what 11:05 we call great kivas, which are also 11:08 located partially underground. 11:10 These very round structures seem to have 11:13 been used for public gatherings, during which members 11:16 of the community socialized, performed 11:18 ceremonies, or discussed issues important to the group. 11:22 So what happened to the ancient peoples living here? 11:25 Research shows that the population peaked in 850 AD. 11:30 An event occurred which evacuated the people in droves. 11:34 This appears to have happened across the Mesa Verde region, 11:38 with the population moving south to places 11:41 like Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. 11:43 Recent research suggests that a change in climate 11:47 played a role in this immigration. 11:49 Pollen remains indicate that the weather, 11:51 in at least part of the Mesa Verde region, 11:53 had become colder. 11:55 And dry winters compounded this problem. 11:58 Then, the climate changed again, and this area warmed up. 12:02 In about 930, people moved back, but now with connection 12:06 to a vast trade network and commerce. 12:10 We know this from pottery found at these sites. 12:13 Finally, in the late 1270s the population 12:16 started decreasing again. 12:19 The reasons are still a mystery to anthropologists. 12:22 It is thought that a combination of reasons, including 12:25 climate change, competition for resources, population 12:28 growth, and conflict were the reason for this exodus. 12:33 They migrated south into present day New Mexico and Arizona. 12:38 By 1300, the Anasazi occupation of Mesa Verde ended. 12:43 With the population shrinking, the site fell into ruin. 12:47 It wasn't until 600 years later that it was 12:50 rediscovered by a prospector. 12:52 Then just a few decades later, it was made a national park. 12:57 But the ruins at Mesa Verde are not unique. 13:01 There are several other large and more complex 13:03 sites where ancient people once dominated the landscape, 13:07 but disappeared into obscurity. 13:15 This program is brought to you by 13:20 An organization committed to producing high quality 13:23 science-focused television content 13:25 all from a Biblical worldview. 13:27 Awesome Science is our kids series hosted by Noah Justice 13:31 In every episode, Noah visits the national parks 13:34 and historical sites to help you understand 13:37 earth's history using a Biblical worldview. 13:40 Find us online to watch all of our shows, 13:43 Noah's bloopers, behind the scenes videos, and special interviews. 13:49 You can also visit and like our Facebook page. 13:52 Where we post updates, announcements, and post extra videos. 13:55 Our YouTube channel also hosts many of videos and bonus segments. 14:00 Thanks for visiting. We hope you enjoy our great content. 14:06 Deep in the remote deserts of northwestern New Mexico 14:09 lies the extensive ruins of the greatest 14:12 architectural achievement of the North American Indians. 14:16 We're here at Chaco National Historic Park 14:19 where, thousands of years ago, the Chaco people 14:22 built their own culture. 14:24 Known as the Chaco Canyon Complex, 14:27 the site was the main social and ceremonial center 14:30 of the Anasazi culture. 14:32 The early Anasazi moved into this area about 100 years 14:36 before the time of Christ. 14:37 They were nomadic hunter-gatherers, 14:39 ranging over great expanses of territory. 14:42 But by AD 700, they had begun to live 14:46 in settled communities, of which Chaco Canyon is the finest 14:49 example. 14:51 Intensive construction occurred throughout Chaco Canyon 14:54 from AD 900 to 1100, resulting in the development 14:59 of several sophisticated dwelling complexes. 15:02 Pueblo Bonito, which means pretty village in Spanish, 15:06 had more than 600 rooms, numerous two and three story 15:10 buildings, and several ceremonial structures 15:13 called kivas. 15:15 It is believed that the population 15:17 was between 800 and 1,200. 15:20 To our knowledge, the Anasazi didn't leave any clues 15:23 about the language they spoke. 15:25 So we don't have any of the original names of the towns 15:28 or villages. 15:29 To this day, they remain a mystery. 15:31 What remains are the Spanish names used by the Mexicans 15:34 when they ruled this area. 15:36 Some suggest that a drought may have been the reason they 15:40 abandoned the site. 15:42 If so, a great drought could have easily 15:44 depleted most of the natural resources, 15:47 causing the abandonment of the site about 900 years ago. 15:52 The Chaco complex was rediscovered in 1849 15:55 by US army soldiers. 15:57 The site was severely vandalized for 70 years 16:01 until it was made a national monument in 1907. 16:04 Then, in 1920, the National Geographic Society 16:08 began a thorough reconstruction of the site. 16:11 The main road winds through the canyon, 16:13 with several stopping points close to each other. 16:16 You can hike several trails close to the road, giving you 16:19 and your family a firsthand look at these ruins. 16:23 Many of the buildings built here are aligned with the sun, moon, 16:26 or stars, meaning that these people who built them 16:29 were not primitive, but highly advanced. 16:32 Whether through drought, famine, or war, in time, 16:36 the people moved away from the area, 16:38 enmeshed into other cultures to reinvent themselves. 16:42 God has promised that if a people, nation, 16:45 or culture reject him and follow other gods, 16:49 he will destroy them. 16:50 This appears to be the case in the Chaco culture. 16:53 A once great people died out, dispersed, 16:56 or assimilated into other cultures 16:58 in less than a millennia. 17:01 Today, the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico 17:03 claim to be the descendants of the ancient Anasazi. 17:11 I'm here at the Aztec Ruins in Aztec, New Mexico. 17:14 But the funny thing is, these ruins aren't Aztec, 17:17 they're Pueblo. 17:18 Let's go check it out. 17:21 Just south of the Colorado border is New Mexico. 17:24 It's here that an amazing sight rises 17:27 from the desert floor of an ancient city 17:29 in an area of about 320 acres. 17:33 The Aztec Ruins sit between Mesa Verde and the Chaco ruins. 17:38 Almost 900 years ago, work gangs excavated, filled, 17:42 and leveled more than 2 and 1/2 acres of land. 17:46 Masons laid out sandstone blocks in intricate patterns 17:50 to form massive stone walls. 17:52 Wood workers cut and carried heavy log beams from mountain 17:56 forests tens of miles away. 17:59 One of the cool things is these are the actual roofs 18:02 from 900 years ago. 18:05 In less than three decades, they had built a monumental Great 18:09 House, three stories high and longer than a football field. 18:13 The complex had over 500 rooms, including a ceremonial Great 18:18 Kiva over 41 feet in diameter, the oldest 18:22 and largest reconstructed kiva in North America. 18:26 Archaeologists believe the village, what 18:28 we call Aztec Ruins, was established at around 1100 AD 18:33 and was a satellite community of Chaco Canyon to the south. 18:37 Aztecs and Anasazi inhabitants were 18:39 attracted to the valley because of its good location 18:42 and fertile soil. 18:44 Archaeologists believe that population pressure, 18:47 climate changes, new enemies, disease, 18:50 and shrinking natural resources forced the Anasazi to abandon 18:54 Aztec, just as they abandoned other villages 18:57 throughout the southwest. 18:59 In the 1700s, these ruins were discovered by Spanish explorers 19:03 who thought they were Aztec, a nation mostly located 19:07 to the south in Mexico. 19:09 A self-guided interpretive trail around a quarter mile 19:12 long winds through the West Ruin, 19:14 a pueblo of 450 interconnected rooms built of stone and mud. 19:20 The structures are mostly multi-level communal dwellings 19:24 constructed of sandstone, mud, and stones. 19:27 Pueblos, or homes, consisted of numerous rooms, 19:31 housing hundreds of people. 19:33 The Aztec Ruins are a great place for your family 19:36 to experience ancient dwellings firsthand and get 19:40 a small piece of the ancient Anasazi culture that once lived 19:43 here, over 1,000 years ago. 19:50 As we study this ancient culture, 19:52 we begin to wonder, how did man get to North America? 19:56 There are two main worldviews about the origins 19:59 of man, evolution, and creation by God, according to the Bible. 20:04 According to evolution, the Big Bang 20:07 happened about 14 billion years ago, 20:09 causing the universe to expand and come 20:12 into existence from nothing. 20:13 The Big Bang supposedly gave off hydrogen, helium, and lithium. 20:18 And over billions of years, these elements 20:21 were able to be converted to heavier elements that are here 20:24 today. 20:25 Those elements eventually came together 20:27 and formed rocky planets. 20:29 On one of those planets, planet Earth, 20:32 came the first form of life caused by accident. 20:35 And somehow, that first life survived and evolved over 20:39 billions of years into the complex life 20:42 we see today on Earth. 20:45 Eventually, this life got more complex and formed apes. 20:49 Eventually, those apes started walking upright. 20:52 In this evolutionary view, brain size supposedly 20:55 increased rapidly, and social skills became more complex. 21:00 Modern humans are believed to have originated in Africa 21:03 around 200,000 years ago, if you believe the secular story. 21:07 For tens of thousands of years supposedly, 21:10 early man lived a nomadic lifestyle as hunter-gatherers. 21:13 And while the population didn't grow, it remained stable. 21:17 Language grew and became more and more complex 21:21 and a diversity of language developed. 21:24 Between 8500 and 7000 BC, humans supposedly 21:28 learned the husbandry of plants and animals. 21:31 Then, they learned agriculture. 21:34 The earth's first major civilization 21:36 at Sumer in the Middle East was supposedly 21:39 between 4000 and 3000 BC. 21:42 From there, ancient Egyptians, Indus Valley, Chinese, 21:46 and other societies developed. 21:49 Eventually, cities and temples were 21:51 built by these civilizations. 21:53 And some still exist today. 21:56 As each civilization grew, they spread across Europe, Asia, 22:00 and America, and developed into the countries we have today. 22:05 Of course, this story changes as new discoveries are found. 22:09 Evolutionary naturalists consistently 22:11 need to change their storyline, and other small storylines, 22:14 to keep up with the evidence. 22:16 But overall, the big picture evolutionary story 22:19 is not subject to change. 22:21 But how is this story different from the biblical worldview? 22:29 According to the Bible, about 6,000 years ago, 22:32 God created man in his own image on the sixth day. 22:36 Adam and Eve were given a beautiful garden to live in 22:39 and were told to multiply and subdue the Earth. 22:42 But Satan rebelled from God and used a serpent 22:45 to deceive Eve, and subsequently Adam, into sin. 22:50 In response, God sentenced man to die for their sin, 22:53 and then cast Adam and Eve from the garden. 22:57 1,600 years after creation, God had decided that the sin of man 23:01 had gotten so bad that he was going 23:04 to destroy the Earth with a worldwide flood. 23:07 Only one man and his family held special favor with God. 23:12 God told Noah to build an ark and be saved 23:15 from the worldwide destruction. 23:17 About a year later, Noah's family came off the ark 23:21 and began to repopulate the Earth. 23:23 God promised that he would never flood the Earth again, 23:26 and instituted the rainbow as a sign of his promise. 23:30 Noah's sons were Shem, Ham, and Japheth, 23:34 all were born around the time that Noah was 500 years old. 23:38 Once everyone came off the ark, God 23:41 told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 23:45 Within 100 years, Noah's descendants 23:48 multiplied but had settled to the east of Noah's farm. 23:52 They found the plain of Shinar and settled 23:54 there, which is in modern day Iraq, 23:57 named for the old city of Uruk near Baghdad. 24:02 There was only one language at that time. 24:05 The people wanted to build a city and a high tower 24:08 to make a name for themselves and not be 24:10 scattered over the whole Earth. 24:12 This was in direct opposition of God's command to spread out. 24:17 Some have suggested the high tower was a place of sacrifice 24:21 to the sun gods. 24:23 We see evidence of this all around the world, 24:25 with ancient tall ziggurats and pyramids being 24:28 used for human sacrifices. 24:31 Awesome Science is a video series produced by 24:36 Awesome Science Media produces many other great shows, 24:48 Ark Animals 24:53 We broadcast our episodes throughout the world 24:56 on television networks, TV stations, and online platforms. 25:01 We're making a difference by challenging the deceptive 25:04 evolutionary worldview, which directly opposes the Word of God 25:08 Our mission is to provide youth with a firm foundation 25:12 based on solid scientific evidence that supports their 25:15 Biblical worldview. We also want to encourage youth 25:19 to pursue the Truth, and maybe even make a career from their 25:23 interest in science and the Bible. 25:25 Thank you for watcing our shows. 25:27 Please keep up with us as we continue to build new content 25:31 which builds up your faith in the Word of God. 25:35 Thank you for watching this episode of Awesome Science. 25:38 And remember, science, it's awesome. 25:40 [music playing] |
Revised 2018-03-22