LAY OF THE LAND

Solving The Mystery Of Chaco

The great ruins in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico, along with the more than 100 Chaco outliers that are up to 100 miles away from the center, present archaeologists with a difficult problem. Or better said, a series of difficult problems. After a century of intensive study, there is not yet a consensus as to the very nature of this “Chaco phenomenon.” It is very different from all the other architecture of its time—bigger, grander, and more complex. Yet it now appears that the large structures of Chaco Canyon were sparsely inhabited. In this issue of American Archaeology (see “Chaco, Through A Different Lens,” p. 26), we focus on a new general theory for Chaco Canyon put forth by Stephen Lekson of the University of Colorado. Known as a brilliant researcher and controversial theorist, Lekson likes to think outside of the box. For a century, archaeologists have seen Chaco Canyon through the context of modern Pueblo people projected back in time. Lekson challenges this ethnographic bias. Instead he now argues, convincingly in my view, that Chaco Canyon is linked to Mexico and reflects a local adaptation of a well-established Mexican system known as the altepetl. So how is this conflict to be resolved? Are we ever to reach a scientific consensus as to the nature of the Chacoan culture? The answer is to conduct new research using the most modern technology, including DNA studies of people from Chaco Canyon. Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, and the other great houses of downtown Chaco have hardly been touched by scientists for 75 years. Research on the Chaco outliers is minimal. A new well-funded, longterm research project using the latest theories and technology can solve this mystery once and for all. The National Park Service, which owns Chaco Canyon, should step up to the challenge.

Mark Michel, President