Chaco Culture - Chetro Ketl

Chetro Ketl was one of the later great houses constructed in Chaco Canyon. Archeological evidence suggests construction occurred from 1005 to 1105 A.D. (NPS, 1998b). It is located at the base of the massive cliff of the lower Cliff House Sandstone.  "The origin and meaning of the name Chetro Ketl are not known. There are at least two Navajo names for this ruin, tsebida't'ini'ani, 'covered hole,' referring to the sealed concavities that were found in the cliff behind the pueblo; and nastl'a kin, 'house in the corner', referring to the location of the building near a small rincon (box canyon). William Henry Jackson, a photographer and explorer who came through Chaco in 1877, translated Chetro Ketl as 'Rain Pueblo,' but he did not identify his source" (NPS, 1998b).