How were cliff dwellings made?

Cliff dwellings were almost always set in the hollow of a cliff face . The cliffs over hung above the roof of the houses. The roofs were made with log beams often as close a one foot apart. Branches were over that and then bark and then mud and dirt. The roof was often used as a living area. Many more houses actually were above on the mesa tops but they have not survived the weather as well.