Chaco Culture National Historical Park v.2

Volume 2 covers Pueblo del Arroyo, Casa Rinconada, the small Bc sites, and the outliers, Tsin Kletzin and Wijiji.

Pueblo del Arroyo

Pueblo del Arroyo is a Bonito Phase pueblo located one-fourth of a mile west of Pueblo Bonito. This large pueblo contains about 284 rooms and 14 kivas. The main room block was 3 and 4 stories tall. Construction spanned a period from AD 1052 to 1103, making Pueblo del Arroyo one of the last major pueblos to be built. The pueblo has a rather unique tri-wall structure. The pueblo at Aztec National Monument contains a similar structure.

Southeast section (2001 - film)
Pueblo del Arroyo

Southeast section (2011 - digital)
Pueblo del Arroyo

East wall of Pueblo del Arroyo

East wall
Pueblo del Arroyo

Kiva in central courtyard
Pueblo del Arroyo

Northeast corner room
Pueblo del Arroyo

Photo of a ranger taking a photo

Room block

North section kiva

Large kiva and room blocks
East central section

Navajo Restoration Crew

Tri-wall structure (2001 - film)

Tri-wall structure (2011 - digital)

Tri-wall structure

Kivas and room block attaching tri-wall structure to main building

Chaco wash near Pueblo del Arroyo

Casa Rinconada

Casa Rinconada is the largest excavated Great Kiva in Chaco Canyon, with an inside diameter of just over 63 feet. There is a one-room anetchamber on the south side and at least a 3-room antechamber on the north. Interior details include a circular bench around the edge of the Kiva, a firepit, 2 vaults, a subfloor passageway to the north antechamber, and 4 pits for seating roof poles.

Casa Rinconada interior

South entrance
Casa Rinconada (July 1989)

South entrance
Casa Rinconada (Sept 1992)

Subfloor passage and stairs leading to north antechamber (July 1989)

Subfloor passage and stairs leading to north antechamber (Sept 1992)

North antechamber

View from north antechamber to south antechamber

Fajada Butte (1992)

Casa Rinconada interior (Oct 1999)

Subfloor passageway and
stairs to north antechamber

North antechamber entrance,
wall niches and roof pole remnants

Small Bc Sites - Tseh So (Bc50), Bc51, and Bc59

There are many smaller sites scattered throughout Chaco Canyon. Three of these smaller sites that have been excavated are located to the south and east of Casa Rinconada. All three are Hosta Butte Phase sites. Tseh So (Bc50) contains 26 ground-floor rooms in a linear arrangement with 4 attached kivas. Bc51 contains 45 rooms and 6 kivas in an elongated, single-story arrangement. Bc59 is a partially excavated site containing 16 rooms and 5 kivas. The sites were excavated by the University of New Mexico, which assigned them the Bc numbers. No, I don't know what Bc stands for.

Tseh So (Bc50)

Kiva and room block
Tseh So (Bc50)

Tseh So (Bc50) View toward SW
South Mesa in background

Tseh So (Bc50)

Successive layers of kiva construction
Bc59

Keyhole kiva (Mesa Verde style)
Bc59

Tsin Kletzin

Tsin Kletzin is located 2 miles south of Pueblo Bonito on South Mesa. It's a small pueblo with 45 ground floor rooms and 4 kivas. Tsin Kletzin has characteristics of both the McElmo and Bonito phases. The Tsin Kletzin or South Mesa trail is a 4 mile loop trail. The trail starts at Casa Rinconada, climbs South Mesa, passes by Tsin Kletzin, descends into South Gap, and joins itself again near Casa Rinconada.

Bc59 viewed from South Mesa

Casa Rinconada
Pueblo Bonito (background)

Desert horned lizard
(Phrynosoma platyrhinos)

Tsin Kletzin (1992)

Tsin Kletzin (2006)

Kiva
Tsin Kletzin

Northeast wall
Tsin Kletzin (Bc258)

Room block
Tsin Kletzin

Smoke signals

Pueblo Bonito
View from South Mesa

South Mesa trail

South Gap

Wijiji

Wijiji is a unexcavated, Bonito Phase pueblo located five and one-half miles east of Pueblo Bonito. It's rectangular in shape, with about 225 rooms arranged around 2 kivas and a plaza. It's the mose symmetrical of all the great houses, and was apparently constructed in a short period of time, from AD 1110 to 1115. Wijiji Trail is an easy, 3 mile out and back trail, starting at the Wijiji parking area near Gallo Campground.

Trail to Wijiji Ruin

Wijiji

Room block
Wijiji

Corner exhibiting different masonry styles

Walls and doors

Source material obtained from Chaco Canyon Archaeology and Achaeologists by Robert and Florence Lister, Wikipedia, and the National Park Service.
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