Kin Kletso facts for kids
Kin Kletso is an ancient building, known as a "great house," built by the Ancestral Pueblo people. These people lived in the southwestern United States long ago. Kin Kletso is an important archaeological site located in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. It is about 25 miles southwest of Nageezi.
Kin Kletso is a medium-sized great house. It stands about half a mile west of another famous site called Pueblo Bonito. Evidence suggests that people from the northern San Juan Basin built and lived here. This happened between the years 1125 and 1200. This period is known as the McElmo Phase of Chacoan Architecture.
Experts like Stephen H. Lekson and Tom Windes say Kin Kletso is an example of Pueblo III architecture. They can tell this from its rectangular shape and how its stone walls were built. They believe only one or two families lived in this great house.
According to author Fagen, Kin Kletso had about 55 rooms. It also had four special underground rooms called kivas on the ground floor. There was also a two-story round tower. This tower might have been another kiva or a place for religious ceremonies. Scientists also found signs that people made tools from a volcanic glass called obsidian here. The building was constructed between 1125 and 1130.
What Does the Name Kin Kletso Mean?
The name Kin Kletso comes from a Navajo phrase. It is a slightly changed way of saying Kin Łitsooí. In the Navajo language, this means "Yellow House."
