Betatakin (Ledge House in Navajo) located in Tsegi Canyon near present-day Kayenta, Arizona, was built by the Kayenta branch of the Anasazi in the 1260-1270s and abandoned about 1300 following a prolonged drought. According to Hopi legend, Betatakin, about 50 miles north of the Hopi Mesas,  was occupied by certain Hopi clans during the migration undertaken after emerging into the Fourth World and which ended when they reached present-day Hopiland. Known as Kawestima by the Hopis and representing the northwest cardinal direction, Betatakin and nearby Kiet Siel, now included in the Navajo National Monument, are among the finest examples of Anasazi architecture. As is the case with many archaeological sites in southwestern United States,  precise dating of various portions of the pueblo has been possible through the technique of tree-ring analysis of beams used in room construction.  (Photo by author)

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