Ruins of out buildings of the Mummy cave ruins in Canyon De Chelly. These are well preserved. Background of red cliffs
Canyon de Chelly National Monument (pronounced "canyon d'shay"), contains over 2500 archeological sites ranging from 1500 to 1350 and is considered one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in North America. Among these sites are several hundred Anasazi Indian villages built between 350 and 1300 After 1100 the Anasazi built dramatic masonry cliff dwellings in caves and recesses in the canyon walls. The Anasazi began to vacate the canyons about 1300 The area was sporadically occupied until the early 1700s when the Navajo Indians began settling in the canyons. Today, Canyon de Chelly sits in the middle of the Navajo Indian Reservation and is still home to many Navajo who live in and utilize the canyon's resources. Notable sites are White House Ruin, one of the best known and most dramatic of the Anasazi cliff dwellings; Mummy Cave, a large cliff dwelling with a 3-story tower occupied from 300 to 1300 ; and Antelope House, named for its many colorful paintings of antelope. Canyon de Chelly National Monument (/dəˈʃeɪ/ də·shā′) was established on April 1, 1931 as a unit of the National Park Service. It is located in northeastern Arizona within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Reflecting one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, it preserves ruins of the early indigenous tribes that lived in the area, including the Ancient Pueblo Peoples (also called Anasazi) and Navajo. The monument covers 83,840 acres ( sq mi; km2) and encompasses the floors and rims of the three major canyons: de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument. These canyons were cut by streams with headwaters in the Chuska mountains just to the east of the monument. None of the land is federally owned.[5] In 2009 Canyon de Chelly National Monument was recognized as one of the most-visited national monuments in the United States.
Size: 3504px × 2336px
Location: Canyon De Chelly, Apache County, Arizona, USA
Photo credit: © Vincent Palermo / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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