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Hidden House Pueblito

Located in Rafael Canyon, this pueblito is situated on the northern first bench with a view up and down Rafael Canyon. Old Fort Pueblito is visible across the canyon. Though in plain sight, due to the talus slope and numerous boulders on the bench, this pueblito truly appears hidden unless the observer knows exactly where to look. The site consists of a five room pueblito and associated forked-pole hogan. Three of the rooms are situated on top of a boulder (Towner 2003).

Ceramic Assemblage: Ceramics include Dinetah Gray and Gobernador Polychrome (Towner 2003).

Tree-ring Analysis: Twenty-seven tree-ring samples have been collected from the pueblito (21 samples) and hogan (6 samples). Wood species was dominated by juniper with pinyon and Douglas-fir also present. Twenty-two samples produced dates with 14 cutting or near-cutting dates. Majority of the samples had evidence of metal ax use. The tree-ring dates indicate that the pueblito was originally constructed in 1746 with the addition of the lower rooms and hogan added in 1751. Abandonment likely occurred sometime after 1754. These dates place Hidden House Pueblito contemporaneous with Old Fort (Towner 2003).

Land Owner:	Bureau of Land Management
Site Elevation:	6531 ft / 1991 m
Hiking Difficulty:	Very Difficult = Someone in excellent hiking condition; Distance 1/2 mile; Elevation gain about 200 feet; requires crossing a deep arroyo (twice) and hike up a boulder talus slope.
References:
	Towner, Ronald H. 2003 Defending the Dinetah: Pueblitos in the Ancestral Navajo Heartland. The University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah.

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