Kin Nahasbas facts for kids

Kin Nahasbas is an ancient village site in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, United States. It was built by the Ancestral Puebloans, who were a group of people living in the southwestern United States many centuries ago. Kin Nahasbas is known as a "great house," which means it was a large, important building or group of buildings.

This special site is located in Chaco Canyon, about 25 miles southwest of Nageezi. It's a protected area within the national park, helping to preserve the history of the people who lived there.

Building a Home in Chaco Canyon

People started building Kin Nahasbas around the late 800s or early 900s AD. This was a busy time in Chaco Canyon. Many other famous great houses were also being built around the same time. These include places like Pueblo Bonito, Una Vida, and Peñasco Blanco.

Archaeologists, who are like history detectives, have studied Kin Nahasbas. They believe it was one of the first big building projects in the heart of Chaco Canyon.

What Happened to Kin Nahasbas?

Unlike some other great houses in Chaco Canyon, Kin Nahasbas might not have been used for a very long time. Many other sites, like Pueblo Bonito, were lived in and maintained for hundreds of years. But Kin Nahasbas seems to have been used for a shorter period.

Today, you can't visit the Kin Nahasbas site in the park. This is because it hasn't been fully dug up or made safe for visitors yet. There aren't many visible ruins to see right now.

Life in Ancient Chaco

When Kin Nahasbas was built, the Chaco Canyon area was going through a big change. This time is known as the shift between the Pueblo I and Pueblo II periods. During this time, many people moved into Chaco Canyon. The number of small homes grew a lot.

Experts think that good rainfall helped the people grow plenty of corn. This food supported the growing population in Chaco Canyon. It allowed more people to live together in larger communities like Kin Nahasbas.