Mesa Verde Video -- National Geographic

Mesa Verde Video 800 years ago, communities of native Americans built homes in hillside caves, decorated them with art, then abandoned them. Why?Welcome to the National Geographic video player.Video Sections

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- Abraham Lincoln - Abraham Lincoln is credited by many with saving a nation. From humble beginnings to a tragic end, follow the events that shaped the life of the United States' 16th President.
- American Orient Express - Travel in high style on the rails across the American West.
- Ancient Sea Life in Utah - January 9, 2009—Some 93 million years ago, dinosaur-era "sea monsters" swam the seas above what is now Utah. Thanks to paleontologists, more evidence of the ancient beasts is now surfacing.
- Arizona Rock Art - Unravel the mysteries of Arizona's petroglyphs, carved into the stone 5,000 years ago by the Sinagua of the Verde Valley.
- Autumn Leaf Hoppers - See New England at its most glorious, when fall foliage is in full splendor.
- Black Canyon - Overshadowed by its more famous cousin, Grand Canyon, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park holds rare sights for a lucky few visitors.
- Black Magic - In the Sonora witches' market, witch doctors peddle their cures. And in back rooms behind the stalls, nearly anything is possible.
- Body Farm - It's a field filled with rotting corpses. But no one is burying these bodies just yet.
- Boston's North End - It's both a quaint Italian neighborhood, and the birthplace of the American revolution. Welcome to the North End, the colorful heart of Boston.
- Bull Fighting - One of the world's most dangerous occupations pits man against beast.
- California Wine - California vintners explore how to keep their vineyards producing top-quality wine.
- Canadian Rain Forest - In Canada, environmentalists work to preserve part of the world's only temperate rain forest.
- Carlsbad Caverns - At New Mexico's Carlsbad National Caverns, the main event is the fantastic rock formations on the walls, ceilings and floors. But to find another of the attractions there, you have to travel the equivalent of 70 stories below the earth's surface.
- Chicago Wilderness - There's an abundance of nature in the shadow of Chicago's skyscrapers. Some of it is incredibly rare.
- Cooperstown - Cooperstown, New York is home to the Baseball Hall of Fame. But for the local townspeople, it's much more than that.
- Covered Bridges - Though "The Bridges of Madison County" made Iowa's covered bridges famous, Vermont's are every bit as picturesque.
- Cranberry Harvest - Experience the joys of harvest time as Wisconsin's oldest cranberry marsh is flooded and its fruit corralled.
- Crime Autopsy - It's gruesome work: cutting through a deceased person's body to find what caused their death.
- Crime Scene Cleaners - When a life ends in the worst possible way, and after the police and coroner have left, someone still has to clean up.
- Death Valley - Travel to California's Death Valley, where the seemingly barren landscape holds many beautiful surprises.
- Denali National Park - Safari through Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, and see the bounty of wildlife that lives along the slopes of Mt. McKinley.
- Eating Insects - One California man would like more of us to eat insects. He even adds them to the ingredients of candy in his candy store.
- Ecstasy - Go behind the scenes with users of what some might call a "recreational" drug.
- Embalming - Visit the oldest embalming school in the United States to see how corpses are preserved.
- Fighting Fire With Fire - In the Superior National Forest in Wisconsin, trees are especially vulnerable to forest fires during dry seasons. To beat Mother Nature, fires are intentionally set to save the forest.
- Flesh Branding - Some young people in North America want to make a personal statement in scars, so they burn their flesh with searing hot metal.
- Giant Fish Fights On, With Help - December 4, 2008—Growing up to 20 feet (6 meters) long, western North America's rare white sturgeon, is getting a boost from an alliance of officials, anglers, conservationists, and American Indians.
- Grand Canyon - Millions of visitors see the Grand Canyon each year, and that's becoming a problem.
- Grand Canyon Skywalk - April 13, 2007—See what it's like to walk on a glass walkway 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) above the canyon floor in this un-narrated video.
- Hula - Understand the importance of the hula. Once forced underground, the dance is now celebrated as an intrinsic part of Hawaiian culture.
- Jamestown - Get a glimpse of the tragedies of the original Jamestown Fort. Originally constructed in 1607, 80 percent of the settlement quickly died, perhaps due to the famine of 1609.
- Kesey's Oregon - Enjoy the beauty of Oregon's inspiring coastline as literary hero Ken Kesey describes life on the edge of land and water.
- Key West - The southernmost point in the continental United States is a laid-back haven for fans of sunsets, Ernest Hemingway, and alternative lifestyles.
- Lehman Caves - Follow America's loneliest highway to Lehman Caves in Nevada's Great Basin National Park, and learn about the challenges of preserving its delicate formations.
- Lizardman - One man has radically transformed his body to become the Lizardman, an outcast by design. He has become a hero to those who no longer want to play by society's rules.
- Louisville Slugger - Go behind the scenes at the home of a baseball icon.
- Maggots - Hundreds of maggots are used to clean a woman's open wound.
- Male Plastic Surgery - Plastic surgery isn't just for American women. See how one man goes under the knife to enhance his backside.
- Mardi Gras - Mardi Gras continues in New Orleans, a sign that the city is rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
- Martin Guitars - In the small town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, the Martin Guitar Company has been producing guitars that are the gold standard for professional and amateur musicians. Take a video tour of the factory.
- Memorial Quarry - The World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., opened in 2004. Its granite walls, pillars, and base were cut and handled with special care.
- Mesa Verde - 800 years ago, communities of native Americans built homes in hillside caves, decorated them with art, then abandoned them. Why?
- Mission District - Travel through San Francisco's Mission District and see how immigrants have shaped the cultural identity of this famous neighborhood.
- Molokai - Far from the tourist stampedes, come join a jam session at the most Hawaiian of the Hawaiian islands, Molokai.
- Mummy Museum - In the cemeteries of Guanajuato, city leaders dig up old corpses to make room for new ones.
- Mummy Pets - Do you want to mummify your family pet, just as the Egyptians did? Watch as people in Salt Lake City have their own pet mummified.
- Peyote - A natural hallucinogen becomes part of a ritual in an area of Mexico.
- Presidents' Day Discovery - February 13, 2009—Archaeologists digging at the site of George Washington's early home have discovered clues about the boyhood of the first U.S. President.
- Pumpkin Catapult - How far can a pumpkin fly? Leave it to these catapult builders to find out.
- Ramadan - Celebrate Ramadan, a month of sacrifice and prayer, with the Muslims of Denver, Colorado.
- Rattlesnake Roundup - Rattlesnakes watch out! Every year what may be the world's largest rattlesnake roundup takes place in Texas.
- Real de Catorce - Far from the tourist traps, an inside look at a charming town in rural Mexico.
- Rhythms of New York - Check out the street life in the city that never sleeps.
- River Rafting - For those who brave the rapids, the Colorado River offers a glimpse of an untouched world.
- Rock Creek Park - Snaking its way through D.C., a gorgeous park offers an oasis of tranquility.
- Roosevelt Park - Witness the stark, lonely beauty of the Badlands.
- Sewer Diving - Meet the man who swims through human excrement, toxic waste, and rotting cadavers to keep Mexico City's wastewater where it belongs.
- Sideshow - Morbid curiosity draws the audience at this bizarre sideshow where performers hammer nails up their noses, eat light bulbs, and swallow swords.
- Sierra Madre - Mexico's Copper Canyon offers visitors spectacular scenery, but will tourism spoil what the tourists come to see?
- Ski Patrol - Join the ski patrol at Utah's Snowbird Resort in the Wasatch Mountains, and learn how being a member of this elite force requires more than just emergency medical training.
- Sleepy Hollow - Nestled in the hills of New York's Hudson River valley lies a place where spooky legend meets modern day life.
- Smith Island - Learn how global warming is threatening the traditional way of life on the Chesapeake Bay's Smith Island as its water level rises and its blue crab stocks dwindle.
- Soulard - In today's St. Louis, the Soulard neighborhood captures the city's soul.
- Tequila - Tequila is not just a drink, but a way of life in the town of Tequila, Mexico.
- Trappist Monks - The mountains of Utah prove to be the perfect location for a group of men who have chosen to take the road less traveled.
- Underwater Night Life - Head offshore to experience some underwater night life as twilight signals rush hour at Florida's coral reefs.
- Urban Art - Has what some consider to be vandalism risen to the level of fine art?
- Utah National Parks - Know what a chuckwalla is? Take a trip on the Zion Park Scenic Byway in Utah to find out!
- Vintage Baseball - Watch diehard baseball enthusiasts resurrect America's national pastime the way it used to be played.
- Witchcraft - Practitioners of witchcraft are employing their skills for both beneficial and sinister uses.
Cities - Wander the streets of the world's most beautiful and interesting cities and neighborhoods in these enlightening videos.
Countries - Get a taste of the landscapes and cultures of each country around the world.
Culture - See for yourself the many traditions, celebrations, and interesting recipes of the world's cultures.
Destinations - These videos celebrate the culture and beauty of the world's best destinations.
Parks and Nature - See incredible footage of the most spectacular places on Earth.
Regions - Watch the people and cultures of different regions come alive in thrilling videos.
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Kids Video - Wild, creepy, cute, and slimy animals from puppies and lions to lizards and snakes all do thier amazing things and we catch it all on video.

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