Pueblo Bonito is Chaco Canyon’s largest great house. (Photo Credit: The Archaeological... [+]
Prehistoric archaeological sites in the U.S. are dwindling in number as new construction and infrastructure are needed for our modern lives. But when opportunities arise to survey archaeologically important land and preserve the past for future generations, many people want to embrace them. The Archaeological Conservancy is enlisting in their new campaign everyone who wants to help save an endangered ancient Pueblo village near Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.
Located in northwestern New Mexico, Chaco Canyon was an impressive cultural center for the Pueblo people between 900-1150 AD. The area is both a National Historical Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site because the massive sandstone and wood buildings were the largest in North America until the 19th century. But in addition to the large central site, there are a number of smaller Chaco outliers radiating out of it. There are roads that lead between the outliers and the center in many cases, but archaeologists still don't know the exact relationship between the core site and its periphery.
One such outlying Chaco site, known as the Holmes Group, is critically endangered. Archaeologists first found it in 1875, but in the 1960s and 1970s, the owners of the land actually leased it to looters, which was a fairly common practice at the time. Since the looters didn't use bulldozers or other heavy machinery, the damage to the site was limited. Archaeological mapping in the 1980s revealed that the Holmes Group site has over 127 features, including at least two Great Houses and two Great Kivas. There is Chaco style pottery throughout the site as well.
A ritual structure called a kiva at Chaco Canyon. Archaeologists expect to find at least two kivas... [+]
In 1981, the national non-profit group Archaeological Conservancy attempted to protect the Holmes Group site, but negotiations failed. Just recently, though, the Archaeological Conservancy has been given the go-ahead to purchase the Holmes Group site so that 21st century archaeological techniques can be used to learn more about Chaco and the Pueblo and to protect the site from additional looting and black market artifact trading. The Archaeological Conservancy is therefore launching a crowdfunding campaign to try to save the Holmes Group site, which is one of the largest and most complex of all the Chaco-period occupation sites.
The Conservancy is seeking the help of the public to reach their goal of $25,000, a relatively small amount of money considering the immense potential of the site to add to our understanding of the cultural past in the southwest U.S. According to their calculations, a donation of $45 protects 60 square meters of the site and gets you a tote bag. Various levels of funding come with additional rewards, from a t-shirt ($100 donation) to a private tour with two-day accommodation and meals at the site ($5,000 donation). Any excess funds raised will even let the Conservancy buy additional portions of the site.
Puebloan turquoise and argillite inlay pieces from the 11th century AD, found at Pueblo Alto in the... [+]
The Holmes Group site is the latest in a long line of sites preserved by this organization. If successful in their crowdfunding campaign, the Archaeological Conservancy will have saved and protected its 501st site in the 35 years it has been around.
Because the people who lived in Chaco Canyon hundreds of years ago left no written record, it is up to archaeologists to work out the past. Using cutting-edge technology like LiDAR, pollen analysis, biochemistry, and microscopy, archaeologists working at the Holmes Group site will be able to gain insight into the ancient Pueblo way of life -- but only if the site is saved.
For more on the project and crowdfunding request, check out the Archaeological Conservancy's donation page here or the video below:
