Lay of the Land

Preserving sites for Future legends

“L egends of Archaeology” is an occasional feature series in American Archaeology that focuses on the outstanding pioneers who advanced the science. It also seeks to humanize these legends and reveal some of the trials and tribulations they suffered in making their contributions. In this issue we feature Nels Nelson (see “Revolutionizing American Archaeology,” page 34), who developed and refined stratigraphic analysis of ruins in the Galisteo Basin of New Mexico. Nelson believed that artifacts could be dated by their relative position in the ground—upper items are younger than lower items—and careful excavation and analysis could reveal a chronological sequence.

Between 1912 and 1916, Nelson excavated some 1,500 rooms in 45 sites in the region between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. (Archaeologists work much more slowly and carefully these days.) Some of these sites are the largest Pueblo ruins in the United States, with several thousand rooms and many plazas. When the Conservancy began to preserve endangered sites in 1980, the great ruins of the Galisteo Basin were an opportune target. Development and looters were threatening them, and prices were rapidly rising. Pueblo San Marcos, where Nelson worked, was one of our early successes. Using his maps, we were able to define the site and eventually preserve it. Others, like Galisteo Pueblo, followed.

In 2004, Congress declared the area a national protection zone and named 24 ruins in need of preservation. Joining with government agencies and private groups, we are working in Nelson’s shadow to preserve the great legacy of the area. Little research has been done in the 100 years since Nelson, and new techniques will undoubtedly add greatly to his findings—but only as long as the sites are preserved to yield their secrets.

Mark Michel, President