page_title: Dinétah
section_title: Archaeological sites
hierarchical_section_title: Dinétah / Archaeological sites
caption_attribution_description: English: Frances Canyon Pueblito ruins, New Mexico. An 18th century fort believed to have been built by the Navajo people. Photo by T. Mietty, June, 2007.
context_page_description: Dinétah is the traditional homeland of the Navajo tribe of Native Americans. In the Navajo language, the word "Dinétah" means "among the people" or "among the Navajo". In the geographical sense, Dinétah encompasses a large area of northwestern New Mexico, southwestern Colorado, southeastern Utah, and northeastern Arizona. The boundaries are inexact, and are generally marked by mountain peaks which correspond to the four cardinal directions.
context_section_description: There are thousands of recorded archaeological sites within the Dinétah region. The sites include the remains of several cultures, including the Ancestral Puebloans (also known as the Anasazi), the Navajo, and early Hispanic settlers. The naturally dry conditions of the region have contributed to a generally good state of preservation for a variety of site types, which include structures of stone and wood, as well as pictograph and petroglyph sites.
  The most visible archaeological sites are known as Navajo pueblitos. These sites are usually stone structures consisting of from one to six rooms. The pueblitos are thought to date to the end of the 17th century, and appear to be largely defensive in nature. Pueblitos take the form of multi-storied towers, fort-like enclosures, and cliff dwellings. Several pueblitos are included on the List of Registered Historic Places in New Mexico.
caption: Frances Canyon Pueblito is a multi-roomed structure situated at the edge of a cliff in northwestern New Mexico.
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