Betat'akin (Talastima) is one of three major archaeological sites that are protected by the National Park Service at the Navajo National Monument in northeastern Arizona. There are other unprotected (and legally inaccessible) sites in the area.

Most visitors view the ruins from the 1-mile round-trip Sandal Trail on the canyon rim. Closer access to Betat'akin is only via ranger-led tours. The trail to Betat'akin is a 5-mile round trip with a 700' descent in the first mile - and, of course, a 700' ascent for the last mile. Inquire at Monument Headquarters for tour times and availability.

Betat'akin was occupied around 1250 AD and abandoned about 1300 AD - a short lifespan for a site this large (about 135 rooms). There may have been 100-150 people living here during the peak period of occupation. Betat'akin is still an active spiritual site for the Hopi.

There is also some even more ancient history to be seen here. Dinosaur tracks at Navajo National Monument were left by a small three-toed Jurassic dinosaur walking through mud about 180 million years ago. The tracks filled with sediment which eventually turned to stone. These tracks are common in the limestone formations of Navajo country.

	Dinosaur track		Dinosaur tracks		Dinosaur tracks

Betat'akin (Talastima) was one of the several homes of the Kayenta Anasazi, in this case the ancestors of the Hopi Deer, Fire, Flute and Water clans. The canyons provided shelter, water and fertile soil for their crops.

	Betat'akin Canyon Navajo National Monument		Tsegi Canyon Navajo National Monument

The Anasazi built in this alcove because it was deep enough to provide shelter and, since it faced south, it was warmed by the morning sun in winter and stayed shady and cool in the summer. Smart builders!!

	Betat'akin from the approach trail		Betat'akin up close		Betat'akin up close and personal

Betat'akin, like most Anasazi sites, is a study in urban planning - specifically, space utilization and the use of natural cycles. Every "nearly flat" surface inside the alcove was utilized as living space. Thus the need for weatherproof roofing for the homes was avoided and the natural heating and cooling of the Sun cycles throughout the year were most effective. In this case,"nearly flat" means anything up to and including a 45 degree slope.

The Anasazi used stone, wood and mortar construction, very often on surfaces that are slanted enough to make one wonder what kind of mortar they used that would last 1000 years or more - and still hold on that kind of slope.

	Betat'akin space utilization		Betat'akin balcony		Betat'akin construction

Many of the beams that were used for construction still survive. Dendrochronology has been one of the prime sources of dating many archaeological sites, including Betat'akin.

A mano/metate combination is a form of mortar and pestle used to grind corn. Of course, the corn also became mixed with the rock dust that resulted from the grinding. This made for a very short lifespan for human teeth. And therefore, for the humans as well. The manos/metates shown below are as they were originally found in the 19th century. There are photos from the early part of the 20th century that clearly show these items just as they are today.

	So how did they get up there?		1000 year old support logs		Manos and Metates

Betat'akin is home to both pictographs and petroglyphs. It was common for a community to use a large pictograph portraying which clan (or clans) lived there. The purpose and meaning of most pictographs and petroglyphs is the subject of much speculation and will likely remain so.

	Clan symbol		Faded pictograph		Faint petroglyphs

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Keet Seel, Navajo National Monument

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Keet Seel (Kawestima) is the second of the three major archaeological sites that are protected by the National Park Service at the Navajo National Monument. Keet Seel and Betat'akin are open to the public on a limited basis. Inscription House is closed to public access due to the fragility of the site. There are other unprotected (and legally inaccessible) sites in the area.

Most visitors to the Navajo NM restrict themselves to a view of the Betat'akin ruins from the 1-mile round-trip Sandal Trail on the canyon rim. But Keet Seel, for those who are willing to walk the distance, is a much better site - better preserved and relatively undisturbed. Access to Keet Seel is only via ranger-led tours. The trail to Keet Seel is an 17 mile round-trip hike with a 1000' elevation loss and, of course, a 1000' elevation gain.

	Trail to Keet Seel along Laguna Creek		Tsegi Canyon and Laguna Creek		Waterfall on Laguna Creek

Keet Seel (Kawestima) was one of the homes of the Kayenta Anasazi, ancestors of the Hopi Fire, Flute and Bighorn Sheep clans.

Keet Seel was occupied around 950 AD and abandoned about 1300 AD. There may have been several hundred people living in this 160-room cliff-dwelling during the period of occupation.

	Keet Seel ruin and entrance ladder		Keet Seel ruin, Navajo National Monument

			Views of Keet Seel from the approach trail

Like Betat'akin, Keet Seel is also home to both pictographs and petroglyphs.

	Keet Seel pictographs		Keet Seel pictographs		Keet Seel snake petroglyph

There are several different styles of pottery to be found at Keet Seel. While there are few intact (or even "nearly intact") remains, there are thousands of potsherds illlustrating the different styles scattered over the site.

			A few of the thousands of pottery sherds scattered at Keet Seel

At Keet Seel, there was a group effort to build and backfill a retaining wall across 60% of the eastern part of the alcove, which was then backfilled to provide more living space in the protected alcove.

			East Rampart Street, Keet Seel

			West Rampart Street, Keet Seel

Keet Seel still shows a little of the daily routines of it's people - the construction techniques, the turkey pen, the metates in the corn grinding room, and a "built-in" storage space (perhaps for sacred objects?) The village was built with a series of "family units," each with its own living space and storage rooms. There were also corn-grinding rooms, granaries and a kiva.

Turkeys were an important part of Anasazi life, providing not only food, but feathers which were used to make warm garments and blankets for winter, and ceremonial garments for spiritual use.

	Turkey pen		Two metates		A built-in storage place

Roof construction was not required to be "weatherproof" - only to provide an enclosed space to retain heat. The roofs were made by using beams overlaid with layers of progressively smaller branches which were then covered with layers of mud or mortar.

Like most, if not all, Anasazi villages, there was a kiva here. Spiritual life for the Anasazi, as for the Navajo, Hopi and others today, was a huge and extremely important part of their lives.

	Original roof construction		A Keet Seel kiva		700 year-old roof beams

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