Peñasco Blanco facts for kids
Peñasco Blanco, a Chacoan Great House
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 Location in New Mexico
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| Location | San Juan County, New Mexico,  USA |
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| Region | San Juan County, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 36°04′53″N 108°00′11″W / 36.0813801°N 108.0030565°W |
| History | |
| Founded | 900 |
| Abandoned | 1125 |
| Cultures | Chacoan civilization |
| Site notes | |
| Responsible body: private | |
Peñasco Blanco is an ancient building in New Mexico, United States. Its name means "White Bluff" in Spanish. This special place was built by the Ancestral Puebloans. They were a group of Native American people who lived in the Southwest.
Peñasco Blanco is a type of building called a "great house." It is part of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. This park is in a place called Chaco Canyon.
What is Peñasco Blanco?
Peñasco Blanco is a very large and important ancient building. It was built by the Ancestral Puebloans. These people lived in the area a long time ago.
The building has a curved shape. It forms part of a big oval. This oval shape encloses a central open area called a plaza. There is also a "great kiva" inside the oval. A kiva is a special room used for ceremonies.
Peñasco Blanco sits on the southern edge of the canyon. It is located to the northwest of other large great houses in the main part of Chaco Canyon.
Building Peñasco Blanco
The construction of Peñasco Blanco happened in five different steps. It was built over a long period of time. Work started around the year 900 AD. The building was finished by 1125 AD.
This time period is known as the Pueblo III Period. During this time, the Ancestral Puebloans built many large and complex structures.
The Supernova Mystery
Near Peñasco Blanco, there is a special cliff painting. It is called the "Supernova Pictograph." A pictograph is a picture painted on a rock.
This painting might show a supernova. A supernova is a huge explosion of a star. It can be so bright that it is seen even during the day. Scientists think the painting might record a supernova that happened on July 5, 1054 AD. This event created what we now call the Crab nebula.
See also
In Spanish: Peñasco Blanco para niños
