Existing comment:
Sliding House Ruins:
The Navajo know this prehistoric Anasazi village site as Kinaazhoozhi, which means Sliding House. It is an apt description. The dwellings were constructed upon a steeply sloping ledge, and even the ingenious Anasazi builders were unable to keep many of the walls from slipping.
Despite the precarious footing, evidence suggests that at one time this was a large village of from 30 to 50 rooms. Occupation of the site probably began around AD 900 and continued for about 300 years.
A Special Place:
Can you see the circular-shaped walls clustered in front of the ruins near the center? The outlines of these distinctive structures appear in the most authoritative archeological map of Sliding House made in the 1890s.
These semi-subterranean chambers are known as kivas -- and were probably used by the prehistoric Anasazi for religious and ceremonial activities -- much as kivas are used by Pueblo Indians today. Nearly all pueblos in the canyon include one or more kivas. Kivas were entered through a roof opening which also allowed smoke from the central fire-pit to escape. Ventilation was provided by a carefully engineered system of vents and baffles. |