Culture and Ecology of Chaco Canyon and the San Juan Basin

The NPS Chaco Project 151978a, 1981a) reported how several panels aided indeciphering the historic occupation. Since this workwas completed, methods for recording and analysishave improved; management now recognizes the needto resurvey the area and reassess these features.Studies by Jane Kolber and Donna Yoder are underway (Kolber 2003).Surveys Beyond Chaco Canyon. OnceGwinn Vivian (1972) identified a number of roads andlinear features visible on aerial photographs andassociated with the Pueblo occupation, remote sensingarchaeologists re-examined extant photographs andground-checked linear segments that suggested thepresence of over 322 km (200 miles) of a road networkthat connected large pueblos in Chaco Canyonwith similar sites in both the northern and southernSan Juan Basin (Lyons 1973; Lyons and Hitchcock1977b; Lyons, Ebert and Hitchcock 1976; Obenauf1983a, 1983b). Because these roads extended wellbeyond NPS boundaries onto other public lands, theBureau of Land Management (BLM) continued suchstudies (Kincaid 1983; Nials et al. 1987). Links toother Chaco-like structures influenced the initiation oftwo reconnaissance surveys. The outlier surveysponsored by the NPS recorded sites in threecommunities (Bis sa'ani, Peach Springs, and Pierre's)in some detail, and examined 33 additional greathouses on the Chaco slope (R. Powers et al. 1983). Astudy of Anasazi communities sponsored by the PublicService Company of New Mexico focused on thesouthern periphery of the San Juan Basin (Marshall etal. 1979). Although models of a regional system hadalready been proposed (Altschul 1978; Grebinger1973, 1979), the number of sites with Chaco-likemasonry multiplied, and explanations for theirexistence proliferated (Ebert and Hitchcock 1980;Irwin-Williams 1980a, 1980b; Judge 1979, 1989,1991; Gwinn Vivian 1990). Irwin-Williams (1972)coined "The Chaco Phenomenon" to describe thisregional system, recognition of which led to thepassage of P.L. 96-550. Under this legislation, theboundaries of the monument were enlarged; its statuswas changed to a park; and 33 of the large puebloswere protected for posterity.Recognition of the extent of these Classic periodsites, several of which were in locations where earliercommunities of small sites existed, prompted ThomasC. Windes to survey several areas outside thepark-e.g., the Chaco East community (Windes et al.2000), a Pueblo I village south of the canyon,settlements around Pueblo Pintado, and the Casa delRio area (Windes 2006a)-in order to betterunderstand those earlier foundations. These and othersurveys outside the park demonstrated that growth andchange in Pueblo communities were neither identicalnor correlated throughout the San Juan Basin andbeyond. Movements of people were common in thePueblo world (Herr 2001; Kantner and Mahoney2000; Reed 2000; Wilshusen and Ortman 1999). Suchmobility is slowly being outlined for the Mesa Verdephase of Pueblo culture (e.g., Cameron 1995; Lekson1999b; Lekson and Cameron 1995; Roney 1996).ExcavationsOnce Hayes (1981) completed the inventorysurvey and tallied site types through time, it waspossible to select a sample for testing and excavation(Appendix A:Table A.5). Responsibilities for excavationswas divided into three major periods; those incharge would integrate data from survey, excavation,and analysis. Preceramic period sites were excavatedunder the direction of Thomas W. Mathews andThomas R. Lyons; Pueblo sites under Alden C.Hayes, W. James Judge, and Thomas C. Windes; andNavajo and Historic period occupations under DavidM. Brugge. Nothing was known about the Preceramicperiod; therefore, baseline data were sought. For thePueblo occupation, tighter chronological control of thedata was obtained and correlated with othervariables-e.g., rainfall patterns-to help explainchange. Judge (1976b, 1977a, 1979) would developthe Chaco Project model of a complex culturalecosystem in the Chaco Basin that would be expandedand updated (Judge 1983a, 1989, 1991). Toward theend of the project, in addition to the sites selectedunder the Chaco Project, personnel assisted parkmanagers with excavations at 29SJ597 (a Pueblo Isite); 29SJ626 (a Pueblo I to Early Pueblo II site);Una Vida (a Pueblo II great house); and Kin Nahasbas(a Pueblo II great kiva located downslope from a greathouse). Data from these excavations were included insome of the analyses. Only investigators workingwith the Navajo Historic period would be able toutilize written records to help explain their data.Thus, those in charge of each major research periodtook a slightly different approach to research in thefollowing chapters.