Archeological Surveys of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
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I D-20 I STOR GE I Arch logic S ve 0 I ~haco Canyon I I I I I I I I I I I I I DENVER SERVICE CENTER NATIONAL PARK SERVICE I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I \t1~ I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I P ueblo Bonito, looking across Chaco Wash towards South Gap. I I I I I I I I I I, I I I I I I I I I I I &If~IID®@n@@fi~tIDn ~llilIfW®~ @f! I Chaco Canyon I ~®\W ~®~fi~@ I I ~------------------------------------------------~ I I Alden C. Hayes David M. Brugge I W. James Judge I I I Publications in Archeology 18A Chaco Canyon Studies I National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior I Washington, D.C. 1981 I I I I I I I As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Depart ment of the Interior has responsibility for most of our na tionally owned public lands and natural resources. This I includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water re sources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the en vironmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our I mineral resources and works to assure that their develop ment is in the best interests of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reser vation communities and for people who live in Island Ter I ritories under United States administration. I I Frontispiece photograph by Patrick A. Hurley I Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Hayes, Alden C I Archeological surveys of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. (Publications in archeology: 18A) Bibliography: p. Includes index. I 1. Indians of North America-New Mexico-Chaco Canyon-Antiquities. 2. Chaco Canyon, N.M. Antiquities. 3. New Mexico-Antiquities. 4. Excava tions (Archaeology)-New Mexico-Chaco Canyon. I I. Brugge, David M., joint author. II. Judge, William James, joint author. m. Title. IV. Series. E51.U75 no. 17A [E78.N65] 930.1s [978.9'82] 79-607996 I For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office I Washington, D.C. 20402 I iv I I I I Foreword I I In 1971, the National Park Service began an Both the layman and the professional arche intensive archeological study of Chaco Canyon ologist will find much of interest in this report National Monument, New Mexico, one of the Na not the least of which should include increased I tion's most important cultural resources, and an appreciation for the ancient Chacoan people. We area of extraordinary significance in the prehis are just now beginning to realize how sophisti tory of the American Southwest. This survey re cated they were, with their roads and irrigation port, written by three scientists of the National canals, trade contacts with high civilizations in I Park Service, is the first of several studies re South America, elaborate communications tow sulting from those investigations. ers, knowledge of astronomy, etc. Although the With the publication of this study, the first of study of these early Indians will continue for I a number of Chaco research goals has been many years, enough is now known to provide us reached: to provide a base for increasing our un with a tantalizing glimpse of the fascinating way derstanding of the ancient people who left such in which these people lived. This report is a solid I magnificent remains of their culture in Chaco beginning in making this understanding possible. Canyon, and to make the results known, both to I am pleased to introduce this first substan the archeological profession and the general pub tive archeological report on the area, and take lic. In addition, an express purpose of the entire pride in reaffirming the Service's responsibility to I project has been to provide Service management make available to the scientific community and with specific guidelines as to how these valuable the general public the results of important re resources can best be preserved and protected for search on areas of the National Park Service. I future generations. RUSSELL E. DICKENSON I Director I I I Editor's Note: On December 19, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed Public The law added 33 archeological protection sites, totaling Law 96-550, which changed the name of Chaco Canyon Na approximately 8,771 acres, to the newly named unit of the I tional Monument to Chaco Culture National Historical Park. National Park System. I v I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Contents I Introduction by Robert H. Lister . x I Part One A Survey of Chaco Canyon Archeology by Alden C. Hayes I Introduction 1 Background 2 Procedure . 14 The Sites . 21 I The Conclusions 48 Appendix . 64 I Part Two The Historical Archeology of Chaco Canyon by David M. Brugge I Introduction . 69 Features .. 69 Pottery . 83 Minor Artifacts . 90 I Anglo-American Goods . 94 Dating . 98 Summary 100 I Appendix 101 Part Three Transect Sampling in Chaco Canyon I Evaluation of a Survey Technique by W. James Judge Introduction . 107 I The Two Surveys. 109 Comparison of Survey Results . 121 Summary . 133 I Concl usions 134 Appendices 136 Bibliography. 138 I Index . ... 145 I I vii I I I Illustrations I I 1. Map of northwestern New Mexico 1 37. Dates from Bonito Phase sites 55 I 2. Aerial view of Chaco Plateau 3 38. Cored Masonry at Hungo Pavi 56 3. Seep at foot of cliff 5 39. Orientation of pueblos by period 60 4. Pueblo Bonito according to Richard Kern's draw 40. Ground plans of 16 major Chaco sites 64 ing 6 41. Masonry hogan 70 I 5. Stairway near Chertro Ketl according to W. H. 42. Early 20th-century hogan 70 Jackson's sketch 6 43. Small two-room pueblito 71 6. Wetherill-Perry crew at work in Pueblo Bonito 7 44. Ranch-house 71 7. E. L. Hewett at Chetro Ketl, 1932 11 45. Navajo corral 73 I 8. UNM students at Bc59, 1947 13 46. Small structures 73 9. Landforms: primary and secondary 17 47. Relatively recent Navajo sweat-house 74 10. Various classifications of Chaco culture 18 48. Navajo bread ovens 74 11. Distribution of Archaic and BM-II sites 21 49. Former wagon road 75 I 12. Dart-points 22 50. Pebble cache 76 13. Distribution of BM-III villages 25 51. Slab-walled storage room 76 14. Geographic distributions of pueblos 24 52. Navajo corn granaries 77 15. Distribution of P-I pueblos 26 53. Checkdam on foundation of sticks 78 I 16. Distribution of Early P-II pueblos 27 54. Coal mine 78 17. Distribution of Late P-II pueblos 29 55. Modern rock quarry 79 18. Kin Bineola Bonito Phase pueblo 31 56. Miniature Anasazi house 78 19. Distribution of Early P-III pueblos 32 57. Navajo Ye'i 80 I 20. Distribution of Late P-III pueblos 33 58. Panel of Holy People 81 21. Preference for cliff-face locations 35 59. Incised depiction of the Squaw Dance 82 22. Abandoned hogans 35 60. Another petro glyphic representation ofthe Squaw 23. Distribution of hogan sites 36 Dance 83 I 24. A fortified Navajo site 37 61. Incised drawing of Navajo riders 84 25. Profile of exposed ditch in arroyo bank 40 62. Inscription of Silviano Archuleta and Presiliano 26. Stone cairn 40 Martines 82 27. Casa Rinconada 41 63. Navajo tosje or basketry water jug with detail 92 I 28. Shrine on West Mesa 42 64. Navajo burden basket with detail of weave 92 29. Stone circles above Chetro Ketl 43 65. Distribution of single component historical 30. Site 1088 on West Mesa 44 sites 99 31. Prehistoric roads at Kin Ya'a 46 66. The survey area 111 I 32. Cross-section of road 47 67. Location of transects selected 112 33. Line pecked in bedrock 47 68. Final transect sample 113 34. Carved steps near Cas a Rinconada 47 69. Example of completed site survey form 117 35. Distribution of roads and stairs 48 70. Hypothetical relationship between sites discov I 36. Anasazi population estimates 50 ered and intensity of survey 130 I I I viii I I I I Tables I I 1. Correlation of Site Names and Numbers Between Chaco Center Survey and Other Surveys 8 2. Bonito Phase Sites 55 3. Comparisons: Hosta Butte and Bonito Phases 59 I 4. Pottery Distributions from Sites with Historic Components 84 5. Factors Affecting Navajo Trade at Various Pueb- los/Number of Sites Producing Trade Sherds 89 I 6. Anglo-American Trade Sources 96 7. Character of Use-Areas, Navajo Glass 102 8. Summary of Statistical Comparison of Sample and Inventory Surveys 122 I 9. Single Component Site Frequencies from Inven tory Survey 132 I I I I I I I I I ix I I I Introduction I I I The Chaco Center became operational in other archeological features. As could be ex 1971 as a joint venture of the U.s. Department pected, by Judd's time, advances had been made of the Interior, National Park Service, and the in archeological methods and theory since the University of New Mexico. Both organizations first work at Pueblo Bonito and they were re I had been involved with the Chaco for many years flected in his investigations.