diff --git a/code/chunk.lua b/code/chunk.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11f2b05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/chunk.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+-- pieces of levels
+
+Chunk = {
+	-- set of all chunks in the level.
+	-- chunks are the keys, for easier removal.
+	all = {},
+}
+Chunk.__index = Chunk
+
+--[[
+instance fields:
+
+[string] filename
+[Rect or nil] box
+[table or nil] data
+	data loaded from the chunks file. may be nil.
+[table or nil] loaded
+	entities that exist in the chunk.
+]]
+
+-- CLASS METHODS
+
+-- box == nil for global chunks
+function Chunk:new(filename, box)
+	local o = { filename = filename, box = box }
+	setmetatable(o, self)
+	self.all[o] = true
+end
+
+function Chunk:getExportList()
+	local r = {}
+	for chunk in pairs(self.all) do
+		table.insert(r, {chunk.filename, chunk.box})
+	end
+	return r
+end
+
+-- INSTANCE METHODS
+
+function Chunk:containsPoint(pt)
+	return self.box == nil or self.box:containsPoint(pt)
+end
+
+function Chunk:load()
+	if self.loaded then
+		return
+	end
+	logPrint("loading chunk "..self.filename)
+	self.data = dofile(level_current.."/chunks/"..self.filename)
+	self.loaded = { rooms = {}, collisions = {} }
+	LevelTiles = self.data.tiles
+	indexLevelTiles()
+	optimizeTileObjects(self.loaded.collisions)
+
+	for _, v in ipairs(self.data.rooms or {}) do
+		local room = Collision:new(v[1],v[2],v[3],v[4])
+		table.insert(self.data.rooms, room)
+		table.insert(LoadedObjects.Rooms, room)
+	end
+	logPrint("loaded chunk with "..#self.loaded.collisions.." collisions")
+end
+
+function Chunk:save(chunkdir)
+	return love.filesystem.write(chunkdir.."/"..self.filename, "return "..serialize_lua_value(self.data))
+end
+