Amerind Free Online Lecture
What Was Chaco, Really? with Steve Lekson
Recorded - Saturday, April 24, 2021, 11:00 am – Arizona Time
Archaeologists lament that "no models from ethnography or ethnohistory works for Chaco," and conclude that Chaco remains a "mystery." Declaring Chaco a mystery in effect admits a major failure of Southwestern archaeology -- whose job it is to figure out things like Chaco. Chaco is not a mystery: one model from ethnohistory fits Chaco like a glove, if we broaden our horizons to encompass both ancient Mesoamerica and modern Native American insights. This presentation will discuss how Southwestern archaeology painted itself into a corner on Chaco; and how the evidence strongly indicates that Chaco was something not found in Southwestern ethnography; and offers a suggestion of what Chaco was, really.
Stephen Lekson recently retired as Curator of Archaeology at the Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado in Boulder. He received his PhD from the University of New Mexico and directed more than 40 archaeological projects throughout the U.S. Southwest, mainly in the Mimbres and Four Corners areas. Lekson's publications include a dozen books, many chapters in edited volumes, and articles in professional journals and popular magazines. His works include: "A Study of Southwest Archaeology," "Chaco Meridian," and "A History of the Ancient Southwest."