Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin

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Why it mattersKey Kayenta Ancestral Puebloan ancient-village with stratified sequence and regional typology.

Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.

Built

c. 1100 CE 80 rooms; 1280 tower

Period

Basketmaker to Pueblo III (300–1300 CE) plus Navajo later

Culture

Kayenta Ancestral Puebloan

Purpose

80-room 2-ledge cliff dwelling with 3-storey tower (10 m) in 100 m alcove — Canyon de Chelly icon

Rediscovered

Modern excavation 1894

Excavation

Partially excavated

1. c. 1200 BCE major extension

   Major expansion / refurbishment at Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin

2. c. 1100 CE 80 rooms; 1280 tower

   Initial construction / first occupation at Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin

3. 1920 excavation

   Modern rediscovery and scientific excavation of Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin

• Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin — Principal Structure

  structure

  structure at Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin — outlier feature

  36.1376° N · 109.3849° W

• Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin — Northern Complex

  complex

  complex at Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin — outlier feature

  36.1365° N · 109.3833° W

• Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin — Rock_Art Annex 3

  rock art

  rock art at Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin — hydraulic feature

  36.1360° N · 109.3839° W

• Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin — Eastern Structure

  structure

  structure at Canyon de Chelly — Mummy Cave Cliff Ruin — hydraulic feature

  36.1360° N · 109.3841° W