Tsankawi
Tsankawi is a detached portion of Bandelier National Monument and is accessible from a parking lot located just north of the intersection of East Jemez Road and State Road 4. A self-guided 1.5 mile loop trail provides access to numerous unexcavated ruins, caves carved into soft tuff, and petroglyphs. A trail guide, available at the entrance, provides a detailed description of the area.
Origin of the name
The name Tsankawi (saekewikwaje onwikege) may mean "village between two canyons at the clump of sharp round cacti" or more simply, (san-ke-wii) "Opuntia sharp gap") in the Tewa language of the nearby Pueblo people.
History
Archeological evidence indicates that Tsankawi may have been constructed during the early 15th century and occupied until the late 16th century -- toward the end of the Rio Grande Classic Period. Dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) indicates that a severe drought occurred in the late 16th century. Traditions at the nearby San Ildefonso Pueblo say that their ancestors once lived in Tsankawi and other nearby pueblo sites.