Tsin Kletsin facts for kids
Tsin Kletsin (also spelled Tsin Kletzin) is an ancient building site in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, USA. It was built by the Ancestral Puebloans, who were early Native American people. This special place is called a "great house" because it was a large, important building.
Tsin Kletsin sits on top of South Mesa, a flat-topped hill. It is about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) south of another famous site called Pueblo Bonito. Scientists used tree rings to figure out that Tsin Kletsin was built around 1110 to 1115 A.D.
This great house had 81 rooms and was two stories tall. It also had three special underground rooms called kivas, which were used for ceremonies. There was a large open area called a plaza surrounded by a wall. A wide entrance on the south side let people into the plaza.
The builders of Tsin Kletsin used a special way of building with stone. This style is called McElmo. They used big sandstone blocks and long, tube-shaped stones to make the walls strong.
About 800 meters (half a mile) northeast of Tsin Kletsin, you can find Weritos Dam. This dam was likely built to collect rainwater in a reservoir. Experts believe this water helped supply Tsin Kletsin with water for daily life. However, heavy rains could cause a lot of mud to build up, meaning the dam might have needed to be rebuilt often.
Today, you can reach Tsin Kletsin by hiking the South Mesa Trail. This trail is about 2.6 miles long, starting from Casa Rinconada. However, not many tourists visit Tsin Kletsin compared to other sites in the park.
What Does Tsin Kletsin Mean?
The name Tsin Kletsin comes from the Navajo language. It is a slightly changed spelling of the Navajo words Tsin Łizhin. This means "black wood place" or "charcoal place."
