Casa Rinconada, a Chaco Canyon Great Kiva

Casa Rinconada, a Chaco Canyon Great Kiva.

Casa Rinconada, the largest of the six Great Kivas in Chaco Canyon, is located south of the Wash, about 642 m (center-on-center) south and slightly east of Pueblo Bonito's great kiva. Pueblo Bonito is visible in the background. Casa Rinconada's inside diameter is over 19 m. The window in the upper right frames a beam of light at sunrise on the summer solstice. The light beam shines on a lower niche on the northwest wall.

Some of the masonry around the northeast window was reconstructed during excavation and restoration, bring into qestion the accuracy and actuality of the solstice feature.

View through the northeast window framing the lower niche illuminated by the solstice sunrise.
The illuminated niche is to the left of center in the image below.

The row of niches seen in this view consists of 28 evenly-spaced and shaped openings at a uniform height. Six slightly larger niches, two on the east wall and four on the west, were also constructed. Casa Rinconada is aligned to within a quarter degree of true north. The central dividing wall of Pueblo Bonito was aligned with the same accuracy.

Looking south through the north door.