Antelope House Ruin takes its name from a nearby series of colorful paintings of antelope believed to have been painted in the 1830s by a Navajo artist named Dibe Yazhi.
The Mummy Cave dwellings, which are located in Canyon de Chelly National Monument’s Canyon del Muerto, were built by the Puebloans and were named for a burial site that was discovered near the area in the 1800s.
once consisted of about ninety rooms and is named after nearby paintings of a series of antelope, which are believed to have been made in the 1830s by Navajo artist Dibe Yazhi. Farther down Navajo Route 64, visitors will find the overlooks that afford views of Mummy Cave and Massacre Cave.
Mummy Cave is thought by some to contain some of the most attractive Puebloan ruins at Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The site was first settled by the Basketmakers between
T H E E L K S M A G A Z I N E
AD 300 and AD 400, after which the Puebloans built dwellings on the site and lived there until around 1300. The ruin was named for a burial site that was discovered near the area in the 1800s. It is from this burial site that Canyon del Muerto also takes the Spanish portion of its name (del muerto means “of the dead” in Span- ish). Finally, there is Massacre Cave Overlook, which allows visitors to see where the Spanish expedition led by Antonio Narbona cornered and killed 115 Navajo in 1805.
Touring the Canyon Floor For those visitors who aren’t satisfied by the self-guided hike onto the canyon floor from the overlook above White House Ruin, there are ranger-led hikes in the summer from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. ranging from three to five miles in length. The rangers at the Visitor Center can also put visitors interested in more extensive tours in touch with authorized Navajo guides. Rangers have the permits needed for canyon floor tours, which are available year-round. Some private Navajo tour
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PHOTO: ©DAVID MUENCH/CORBIS
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