Enchanted Mesa facts for kids
Enchanted Mesa is a tall, flat-topped hill called a butte. It is made of sandstone and is located in Cibola County, New Mexico, in the United States. This special place is about 2.5 miles (4 km) northeast of the Acoma village.
In Spanish, it is known as Mesa Encantada. The Acoma people call it Katzimo or Kadzima in their Keresan language. A long time ago, the Acoma people believed Enchanted Mesa was their first home. They say a big storm and landslide destroyed the only way to reach the top. Today, there are no old buildings left on its flat surface. The butte stands about 430 feet (131 meters) high. It is about 1,250 feet (381 meters) long and 400 feet (122 meters) wide at its widest point. The very top of the mesa is 6,643 feet (2,025 meters) above sea level.
The Story of Enchanted Mesa
In 1892, a writer named Charles F. Lummis visited the Acoma people. He heard a fascinating story from the old Acoma governor, Martín Valle. The governor explained that the Acoma people once lived on Enchanted Mesa. They reached the top using a "stone ladder" on the southern side. This ladder was actually a ramp formed by a large piece of rock that had broken off.
In reality, people climbed up a narrow crack in the rock. You can still see holes carved into the sandstone on both sides of this crack. These holes were used to hold strong wooden poles, which acted as ladder rungs. This difficult climb kept the early villagers safe. Their farms and water springs were in the valley below.
During the summer, everyone would go down to the valley to care for their crops. One afternoon, a huge thunderstorm hit. The storm washed away the "stone ladder," leaving only steep rock faces all around the butte. The legend says that three old women and a young boy were left on the mesa. They could not get down, and no one else could get back up. A giant thunderbird then swooped down. It picked up the four people and carried them safely to the valley floor. After this, the Acoma people left Enchanted Mesa. They moved to White Rock Mesa, which is now called Acoma.
Exploring the Mesa
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In 1897, Professor William Libbey from Princeton University climbed Enchanted Mesa. He wanted to prove that no ancient ruins existed there. His team used a cannon to shoot a rope over the top of the butte. Then, using a pulley, he pulled himself up in a special chair. Libbey and a reporter explored the top for a few hours. They returned without finding any ruins or artifacts. Libbey stated that "Romantic Indian legend can never stand the acid test of scientific investigation."
However, another archaeologist named Frederick Webb Hodge did not agree. He went on his own trip to the mesa later in 1897. Hodge found evidence that people had lived there. Even though centuries of storms had washed away the main ruins, he discovered many arrow points, stone tools, beads, and pieces of pottery hidden in cracks.
Unexplained Sightings
On November 18, 1974, an Acoma police officer reported seeing a UFO over Enchanted Mesa. Over the next few days, other officers also saw "a red light, faster than any aircraft." A helicopter was sent to the top with the pueblo's governor and a police officer. However, they did not find any direct proof of a UFO.
How the Mesa Formed
The huge cliffs of Enchanted Mesa are made from a type of rock called Zuni Sandstone. The very top of the butte is made of another rock layer called the Dakota Sandstone. These different rock layers show how the land was formed over millions of years.
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