Located near Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl is one of the largest pueblos in Chaco Canyon. It bears the typical D-shape of many other central complexes, but is slightly smaller.
The meaning of Chetro Ketl is disputed; an Indian guide for the 1849 Simpson expedition, Carravahal, claimed it meant rain pueblo (or rain village). A Navajo translation of Chetro Ketl means corner house.
Construction of the pueblo is believed to have begun in 1020 AD and continued through the next three decades. The immense earthen plaza is estimated to contain 500 rooms and 12 kivas, including one great kiva within the central courtyard. The 500 foot long rear wall once supported five stories of rooms, the lower of which were utilized for storage, while the upper rooms contained living quarters. The walls are embedded with wooden beams, thought to have been carried from distant forests. It is estimated that it required the wood of 5,000 trees and 50 million stone blocks to build Chetro Ketl. The plaza has been elevated 12 feet above the surrounding landscape. The result must have made this dramatic-looking building even more impressive and imposing when viewed upon completion.
The structure was abandoned by 1120 AD. In the cliffs behind the ruin are ancient stairways that lead to prehistoric roadways to Pueblo Alto and other outlying communities.
Directions
Chetro Ketl is located 4.5 miles from the visitor center on the Canyon Loop Drive. The trail through Chetro Ketl is half a mile, roundtrip.
