The Story of Mesa Verde, Page 50 Heavy snow generally occurs in the Far View area, so it is very likely these sites were only used at times other than winter. From the size of the Far View villages it is obvious that community involvement was essential to build such large community houses. While there were a number of moderate sized villages built during this period, not everyone lived in them. Many families preferred to live in smaller unit houses, judging from the number that have been found on the mesas.
Large villages create benefits but also create problems.
If many people live in a concentrated area, the surrounding lands would have to be utilized to their fullest extent if enough food was to be grown. A large population also needed a dependable and adequate water supply. Springs and seeps provided some water, but at Far View the reservoir was the major domestic water supply. By A.D. 1150 some of the Pueblo people started to move into alcoves under canyon rims to build new homes. The major shift of population from mesa tops took place about A.D. 1200, when construction of the large cliff dwellings began.