Culture and Ecology of Chaco Canyon and the San Juan Basin
Culture and Ecology of Chaco Canyon and the San Juan Basin
Culture and Ecology of Chaco Canyon and the San Juan Basin
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The NPS <strong>Chaco</strong> Project 151978a, 1981a) reported how several panels aided indeciphering <strong>the</strong> historic occupation. Since this workwas completed, methods for recording <strong>and</strong> analysishave improved; management now recognizes <strong>the</strong> needto resurvey <strong>the</strong> area <strong>and</strong> reassess <strong>the</strong>se features.Studies by Jane Kolber <strong>and</strong> Donna Yoder are underway (Kolber 2003).Surveys Beyond <strong>Chaco</strong> <strong>Canyon</strong>. OnceGwinn Vivian (1972) identified a number <strong>of</strong> roads <strong>and</strong>linear features visible on aerial photographs <strong>and</strong>associated with <strong>the</strong> Pueblo occupation, remote sensingarchaeologists re-examined extant photographs <strong>and</strong>ground-checked linear segments that suggested <strong>the</strong>presence <strong>of</strong> over 322 km (200 miles) <strong>of</strong> a road networkthat connected large pueblos in <strong>Chaco</strong> <strong>Canyon</strong>with similar sites in both <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn <strong>and</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn<strong>San</strong> <strong>Juan</strong> <strong>Basin</strong> (Lyons 1973; Lyons <strong>and</strong> Hitchcock1977b; Lyons, Ebert <strong>and</strong> Hitchcock 1976; Obenauf1983a, 1983b). Because <strong>the</strong>se roads extended wellbeyond NPS boundaries onto o<strong>the</strong>r public l<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>the</strong>Bureau <strong>of</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Management (BLM) continued suchstudies (Kincaid 1983; Nials et al. 1987). Links too<strong>the</strong>r <strong>Chaco</strong>-like structures influenced <strong>the</strong> initiation <strong>of</strong>two reconnaissance surveys. The outlier surveysponsored by <strong>the</strong> NPS recorded sites in threecommunities (Bis sa'ani, Peach Springs, <strong>and</strong> Pierre's)in some detail, <strong>and</strong> examined 33 additional greathouses on <strong>the</strong> <strong>Chaco</strong> slope (R. Powers et al. 1983). Astudy <strong>of</strong> Anasazi communities sponsored by <strong>the</strong> PublicService Company <strong>of</strong> New Mexico focused on <strong>the</strong>sou<strong>the</strong>rn periphery <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>San</strong> <strong>Juan</strong> <strong>Basin</strong> (Marshall etal. 1979). Although models <strong>of</strong> a regional system hadalready been proposed (Altschul 1978; Grebinger1973, 1979), <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> sites with <strong>Chaco</strong>-likemasonry multiplied, <strong>and</strong> explanations for <strong>the</strong>irexistence proliferated (Ebert <strong>and</strong> Hitchcock 1980;Irwin-Williams 1980a, 1980b; Judge 1979, 1989,1991; Gwinn Vivian 1990). Irwin-Williams (1972)coined "The <strong>Chaco</strong> Phenomenon" to describe thisregional system, recognition <strong>of</strong> which led to <strong>the</strong>passage <strong>of</strong> P.L. 96-550. Under this legislation, <strong>the</strong>boundaries <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> monument were enlarged; its statuswas changed to a park; <strong>and</strong> 33 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> large puebloswere protected for posterity.Recognition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> extent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se Classic periodsites, several <strong>of</strong> which were in locations where earliercommunities <strong>of</strong> small sites existed, prompted ThomasC. Windes to survey several areas outside <strong>the</strong>park-e.g., <strong>the</strong> <strong>Chaco</strong> East community (Windes et al.2000), a Pueblo I village south <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> canyon,settlements around Pueblo Pintado, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Casa delRio area (Windes 2006a)-in order to betterunderst<strong>and</strong> those earlier foundations. These <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rsurveys outside <strong>the</strong> park demonstrated that growth <strong>and</strong>change in Pueblo communities were nei<strong>the</strong>r identicalnor correlated throughout <strong>the</strong> <strong>San</strong> <strong>Juan</strong> <strong>Basin</strong> <strong>and</strong>beyond. Movements <strong>of</strong> people were common in <strong>the</strong>Pueblo world (Herr 2001; Kantner <strong>and</strong> Mahoney2000; Reed 2000; Wilshusen <strong>and</strong> Ortman 1999). Suchmobility is slowly being outlined for <strong>the</strong> Mesa Verdephase <strong>of</strong> Pueblo culture (e.g., Cameron 1995; Lekson1999b; Lekson <strong>and</strong> Cameron 1995; Roney 1996).ExcavationsOnce Hayes (1981) completed <strong>the</strong> inventorysurvey <strong>and</strong> tallied site types through time, it waspossible to select a sample for testing <strong>and</strong> excavation(Appendix A:Table A.5). Responsibilities for excavationswas divided into three major periods; those incharge would integrate data from survey, excavation,<strong>and</strong> analysis. Preceramic period sites were excavatedunder <strong>the</strong> direction <strong>of</strong> Thomas W. Ma<strong>the</strong>ws <strong>and</strong>Thomas R. Lyons; Pueblo sites under Alden C.Hayes, W. James Judge, <strong>and</strong> Thomas C. Windes; <strong>and</strong>Navajo <strong>and</strong> Historic period occupations under DavidM. Brugge. Nothing was known about <strong>the</strong> Preceramicperiod; <strong>the</strong>refore, baseline data were sought. For <strong>the</strong>Pueblo occupation, tighter chronological control <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>data was obtained <strong>and</strong> correlated with o<strong>the</strong>rvariables-e.g., rainfall patterns-to help explainchange. Judge (1976b, 1977a, 1979) would develop<strong>the</strong> <strong>Chaco</strong> Project model <strong>of</strong> a complex culturalecosystem in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Chaco</strong> <strong>Basin</strong> that would be exp<strong>and</strong>ed<strong>and</strong> updated (Judge 1983a, 1989, 1991). Toward <strong>the</strong>end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> project, in addition to <strong>the</strong> sites selectedunder <strong>the</strong> <strong>Chaco</strong> 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); <strong>and</strong> Kin Nahasbas(a Pueblo II great kiva located downslope from a greathouse). Data from <strong>the</strong>se excavations were included insome <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> analyses. Only investigators workingwith <strong>the</strong> Navajo Historic period would be able toutilize written records to help explain <strong>the</strong>ir data.Thus, those in charge <strong>of</strong> each major research periodtook a slightly different approach to research in <strong>the</strong>following chapters.