Category Archives: Anasazi

The Ancestral Puebloans

Anasazi

Using Reflective Surfaces to Communicate

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Farmington Daily Times – Reflecting the past: Rangers, archeologists test out ancient messaging system, By Lindsay Whitehurst The Daily Times

Park rangers and archeologists at 23 Anasazi ruins scattered over 86 miles tested the theory that the ancient people passed messages between population centers. Instead of mirrors, the people would likely have used flat, shiny abalone shells or signal fires. …

If the experiments work, it would show, “you had communication within the Chacoan system not just based on runners,” Baker said.

Part of the Anasazi civilization is thought to have centered around Chaco Canyon, flourishing between about 900 and 1100 A.D. in the modern San Juan County.

The experiment repeats and expands a National Science Fair project completed in 1995. It confirmed the theory that Anasazis in Pueblo Alto, Huerfano Mountain and Chimney Rock could have communicated by way of some kind of remote system, Baker said. Tuesday’s experiment expanded that idea, testing the possibilities for communication with Aztec Ruins, Salmon Ruins and other smaller population centers.

The reflections started at 10 a.m. with Pueblo Alto and Penasco Blanco and ended with Huerfano Mountain and Salmon Ruins at 2 p.m.

Results appear mixed. At Salmon Ruins, the staff couldn’t see reflections from Huerfano, Pueblo Alto or Chimney Rock.

“We could see the radio towers, but no mirror reflection,” Baker said.

That could be because the two communities didn’t talk, because they weren’t populated at the same time, or a result of environmental changes obscuring the staff’s vision.

Other sites had more success, like the Huerfano sighting at the Aztec Ruins. If the experiments work, it would support the idea that the communities talked, and possibly the idea that the Anasazi built houses in places they could use for communication, Nichols said.

“You’ve got an expansive view, it’s not near water, it’s up there,” she said. “I don’t think it’s just for signaling, but it’s an advantage.”

Lindsay Whitehurst:
lwhitehurst@daily-times.com

http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_6017018

Chaco

You Pave Paradise…

ABQjournal: To Pave or Not to Pave; County OKs Study To Review Access to Chaco Canyon, By Leslie Linthicum, Journal Staff Writer

San Juan County commissioners have decided to spend $250,000 to study the effects of all options for the road into Chaco Canyon— everything from paving it to leaving it in its famously rutted condition.

The study is the latest turn in a heated debate about whether the last 13 miles of the county road leading to Chaco Culture National Historical Park should be paved. …

“From nothing all the way up to paving,” [San Juan County’s director of Public Works Dave Keck] said. “We’re basically going to let the (environmental assessment) document tell us where we should go.”

Keck said the process will examine how changes to the dirt road could affect archaeological and cultural resources as well as air quality and noise levels. The process will involve three public meetings.

“We’re not going to bowl over anybody in this project,” Keck said. “We’re going to let everybody be involved.”

Opponents are disappointed. They wanted the commission to drop the paving plan and make improvements to the road with fencing and maintenance.

“We believe that Chaco needs to be protected. We believe the road serves as a means of protection. And we believe that, if the road is paved, the essential character of the park will change,” said Anson Wright of the Chaco Alliance.

The Chaco Alliance, the San Juan Citizens Alliance and the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club support fencing the land along the roadway to keep livestock out, improving the wash that crosses the road, improving signs to control traffic and keeping the road graded.

Wright said the county’s original contention that the road is dangerous is unsupported.

“Yes, you have to drive more slowly. Maybe it’s an inconvenience. But that’s all,” Wright said.

A study prepared for Chaco in 2005 looked at the effects of paved access to national parks and monuments. Each park studied saw an increase in visitors following road improvements and some were dramatic. …

Park officials for Chaco have not taken a public stand on the paving issue, although they have said they fear the park’s resources would be strained by increased traffic, especially large tour buses.

STOP THE CHACO ROAD
http://www.dont-pave-chaco.com/

Albuquerque Archaeological Society
http://www.abqarchaeology.org/endangered.shtml

San Juan Citizens Alliance
http://www.sanjuancitizens.org/

Chaco

Chaco Journal – May 2007

4 Comments

I spent two nights and three days in Chaco Canyon recently. I keep a journal during my travels, which is a mix of the mundane and the inspired (when we’re lucky). Links to related sites are at the end. mjh

www.flickr.com

mjhinton's Chaco Canyon photoset mjhinton’s Chaco Canyon photoset

Continue reading Chaco Journal – May 2007 →

Chaco

Chaco Pondering Fee Boost

ABQjournal: Around New Mexico

CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK— The park is proposing to raise its admission fees and wants public comments on the higher fee.

Admission to the park for private cars— regardless of the number of occupants— is currently $8. The park wants to raise that to $15. The park currently charges $4 admission per person for park visitors who enter the park on motorcycles or bicycles and proposes raising that fee to $8.

Park Superintendent Barbara West said the new fee would help the park repair and restore hiking trails and fund new museum exhibits.

“We believe the fee increase is a reasonable charge, is in keeping with rates at similar parks, and will greatly enhance visitor experience and address backlogged maintenance needs,” West said.

Comments on the fee proposal may be mailed to:

Barbara West
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
P. O. Box 220
Nageezi, New Mexico 87037

E-mail

Fax
(505) 786-7061

The people who love Chaco don’t mind paying more. But nearly doubling the fee in one step is a shock. Take it to $10 immediately. Schedule an increase to $12 in 2010. This is too much, too soon. mjh

Chaco, newmexico

No Oil Wells Near Chaco

ABQjournal: No Oil Wells Near Chaco By Leslie Linthicum

State Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons is pulling the plug on two oil wells proposed for just outside Chaco Canyon.

Lyons said Tuesday— after his office was peppered with complaints about allowing drilling so close to a national treasure— that his office will ask Cimarex Energy to trade for different parcels of state trust land.

If the company doesn’t want to trade, the Land Office will reject the application and refund the $10,000 that Cimarex paid for the leases.

“We have a moral obligation to maintain the integrity of Chaco Canyon,” Lyons said. [mjh: Send Lyons your love – PLyons@slo.state.nm.us 827-5760]

Cimarex had plans to drill two wells on state trust land about one mile beyond the southern boundary of Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The Land Office approved leases for the sites late last year and was in the process of reviewing archaeological studies before issuing final approval.

A Cimarex spokesman did not return phone calls from the Journal on Monday or Tuesday.

Lyons said he thought Cimarex would agree to transfer the lease to another area.

“I think they’re going to be receptive,” he said. If the company does not want to swap, he said, “they’re going to be fighting an uphill battle.”

Lyons said his office originally understood Cimarex, a Colorado energy company, planned to drill for natural gas. He said he learned Tuesday that the company planned to drill for oil, which would necessitate pump jacks that could be seen from inside the park.

Lyons said he wants to work with Chaco and other federal agencies that hold land around the park on a series of land trades that could build a no-development buffer around the park.

“We’ve got plenty of land,” Lyons said. “We don’t need to be right up against their boundary.”

That comes as welcome news to critics who complained that oil and gas exploration on the edge of the park would detract from the experience of visiting ancient Indian ruins.

Chaco is a World Heritage Site and its collection of pre-Puebloan ruins draws visitors from around the world to San Juan County.

“That’s terrific news. I’m glad to hear that,” said Mark Pearson, director of the San Juan Citizens Alliance, which had opposed the drilling.

Assistant Land Commissioner John Bemis said the office will begin to identify other tracts of state trust land where development might harm historical sites. The office could withdraw the tracts from leasing or trade the parcels to other agencies.

“Our preferred method is to exchange land and trade out of it because we don’t want these conflicts,” Bemis said.

Pearson praised the idea of building a buffer. “That sounds like a real positive long-term solution,” he said.

The goal of the Land Office is to make money from the land it holds in trust by approving leases for mineral extraction. Royalties from trust land— $495 million in the last fiscal year— support schools, hospitals, prisons and other public projects in New Mexico.

“Everyone agrees that the oil and gas industry plays a critical role in funding institutions and programs across the state,” Lyons said. “But we also agree that New Mexico has an extraordinary and unique history that must be protected and preserved.”

New Mexico State Land Office
P.O. Box 1148
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1148

Phone: (505) 827-5760
Fax: (505) 827-5766

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My Chaco site:
www.mjhinton.com/chaco/

Anasazi, Mesa Verde, Other Peoples

SIXTH ANNUAL UTE MOUNTAIN TRIBAL PARK OPEN HOUSE MAY 27th, 2006

Ute Mountain Tribal Park is near Mesa Verde, Colorado. mjh

SIXTH ANNUAL UTE MOUNTAIN TRIBAL PARK OPEN HOUSE
MAY 27th, 2006

The following events are scheduled:
*Porcupine House and Pictographs Tour – 8:30am – 3:00pm Cost is $22.00 per person
*North Lion Canyon Tour – 8:30am – 3:30pm Cost is $22.00 per person

*Anasazi Sun Calendars in Mancos Canyon and Anasazi Petroglyph tour
Virginia Wolf Archaeologist/Anthropologist and Ed Wheeler Archaeologist/Anthropologist
will conduct these tours from 9:00am to 12:00 (noon)
and from 1:00pm to 4:30pm the cost of this tour is $22.00 per person

http://www.utemountainute.com/tribalpark.htm

colorado, Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde Country (Colorado) Internet travel planner

Travel mag goes online
Mesa Verde Country Internet travel planner joins 150,000 print copies
4th 2007
By John R. Crane | Cortez Journal Staff Writer

Mesa Verde Country’s travel planner, highlighting numerous Four Corners attractions for the adventuresome, has made its way online.

An online version of the publication appeared the last week in January, said Lynn Dyer, director of Mesa Verde Tourism Information Bureau. Vacationers may download a printable version of the Mesa Verde Country Travel Planner at www.mesaverdecountry.com, view the planner on line, with hotlinks to all Travel Planner information, or fill out an online request form and have a planner mailed for free. …

The planner includes itinerary ideas, area maps, information on Mesa Verde National Park and all the other sights and attractions in Mesa Verde Country, a list of festival and event dates; a directory of area restaurants and accommodations; beautiful pictures and photo tips; and everything else visitors need to plan a memorable vacation to one of the nation’s richest archaeological areas.

Mesa Verde Country is known as the archaeological center of America and boasts beautiful landscapes, rich history, cultural heritage and endless outdoor activities. Its centerpiece is the impressive Mesa Verde National Park. Other Mesa Verde Country attractions include Ute Mountain Tribal Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Anasazi Heritage Center and the Crow Canyon Archeological Center.

For more information about destinations and activities in Colorado’s Mesa Verde Country, including lodging and special events, call 1-800-530-2998 or visit online at www.mesaverdecountry. com.

Chaco

Chaco Campground Problems

ABQjournal: Around New Mexico
Repairs at Chaco Limit Campsites

Camping spaces are in short supply at Chaco Culture Historical Park as park employees make repairs to a septic system.

Chaco has suspended group camping at Gallo Campground and reduced regular campsites from 49 to 30 while it makes emergency repairs to the campground’s septic system and then makes plans to build a lift station to move sewage to the park’s main wastewater treatment center.

The restrictions are in effect at least until August and mean that no more than 100 people may camp at Chaco at a time.

[mjh: take note this cuts camping sites by 40 percent through the summer. If the CG is full, there is an overflow space that can be opened, but it has no facilities (though a great view of Fajada Butte).]

Anasazi, colorado, outliers

Where the Moon Stood Still, and the Ancients Watched

Where the Moon Stood Still, and the Ancients Watched – New York Times By MIRIAM HORN

Why did the Chaco people — the Anasazi, or “ancestral Puebloans,” as their descendants prefer — build an enormous ceremonial Great House at Chimney Rock, so far from home, 1,000 feet above the nearest water supply and at the base of immense sandstone spires?

It was not until two decades ago that archaeologists arrived at an explanation that most now accept: the Chaco people built the Great House as a lunar observatory precisely aligned to a celestial event that occurs just once in a generation.

That rare event, a “major lunar standstill,” is happening now, and continues through 2007. To witness this extraordinary moonrise, some two dozen visitors, including me, arrived to climb the Chimney Rock mesa in the middle of an August night.

Every 18.6 years, the moon does something strange: it radically expands the voyage it makes each month across the sky and, at the northern and southernmost edges of that journey, appears to rise in the same spot for two or three nights in a row.

[mjh: That same phenomenon figures into the famous Sun Dagger spiral on Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon. I highly recommend you follow the link to this article which begins with a breath-taking photo by Helen L. Richardson and nicely balances the personal, the historical and scientific facets of this story. See also Chimney Rock Pueblo Outlier to Chaco Canyon (mjh)
]

Anasazi, colorado

Canyons of the Ancients proposals address development, preservation

Cortez Journal Online – Cortez Colorado By John R. Crane | Journal Staff Writer

“We would allow the standing architecture to deteriorate and go back to the earth,” Jacobson said during the presentation. “That follows a Native American philosophy of not interfering with these ancestral structures.”

Balancing energy development and site protection is the main thrust of an early draft of management alternatives for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

Three options each contain a different level of protection of archaeological sites in the 164,000-acre monument, and each opens varying numbers of acres to leasing for oil-and-gas resource drainage. …

Amber Clark, with the San Juan Citizens Alliance in Durango, said the draft alternatives are typical — with one emphasizing more protection, another less, and another proposing an even balance between development and protection.

However, Clark wondered why all the alternatives contained a lease option.

“I don’t understand why there’s no alternative not allowing a lease,” she said.

Anasazi, newmexico

Bandelier listed among 10 threatened parks

lamonitor.com: The Online News Source for Los Alamos
Bandelier listed among 10 threatened parks
ROGER SNODGRASS, roger@lamonitor.com, Monitor Assistant Editor

The authors put Bandelier National Monument on a list of 12 national parks showing early warning symptoms of worsening climate change.

For Bandelier, the symptoms include drought, heat, loss of vegetation and wildfire, stressful conditions shared with many other areas of the West, including nearby Mesa Verde National Park.

Mesa Verde

Party’s on for Mesa Verde, Colorado

Party’s on for Mesa Verde By Electa Draper, Denver Post Staff Writer

location of Mesa Verde, ColoradoThe park’s birthday bash reaches a climax Thursday – 100 years to the day since Congress and President Theodore Roosevelt made Mesa Verde the nation’s first national park dedicated to preserving man-made wonders. …

On Thursday, the birthday party begins with a barbecue dinner at Morefield Amphitheater followed by a special ceremony featuring the premiere of the Mesa Verde Suite, composed by Sterling Proctor.

Crew members of the U.S.S. Mesa Verde are scheduled to attend events on the landlocked mesa 8,400 feet above sea level. And live music, refreshments, craft demonstrations, quilt shows, plays, stagecoach rides, tours and other special events continue Saturday and Sunday.

Ranger-guided backcountry tours of two cliff dwellings, Mug House and Oak Tree House, not seen by the public for decades, are sold out.

[mjh: I recommend the full article because it has much more to say about Mesa Verde.]

Chaco

Hopi Dances at Chaco – Wednesday, June 21, sunrise & 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Independent – June 19, 2006: Area in Brief

CHACO CANYON — The National Park Service and the Friends of Native Cultures are co-sponsoring traditional Hopi singers and dancers at Chaco Culture National Historical Park on Wednesday, June 21, summer solstice. The Hopi singers will welcome the sun at Casa Rinconada at sunrise, followed by social dances in the plaza of Pueblo Bonito at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Photographs of the dances will be allowed. The public is invited to attend and celebrate the beginning of summer. Information: (505) 786-7014.