Chimney Rock Ethnographic Partnership

Summary

The Chimney Rock Great House and associated sites are located on the frontier of the southwestern landscape that was occupied by the Ancestral Puebloans over a thousand years ago. Memories of that time and place still exist in tribal histories and ceremonies. Current knowledge and understanding of these resources comes from sporadic archaeological investigations conducted over the last 90 years. The cultural and traditional knowledge that descendants of the “Ancestors” possess of this cultural landscape and associated archaeological sites and their meaning over the centuries has yet to be accessed by the scientific community and the public. The synergistic combination of scientific archaeological research combined with native knowledge of place and history can provide striking insights into the human experience and meaning of these landscapes. In similar studies elsewhere in the Southwest, the absence of the tribal voice “has created an interpretive silence that excludes the unique perspectives of the descendant communities.” This project addresses this silence and gives voice to the descendants. Ethnographic researchers will collaborate with tribal members to integrate traditional knowledge with archaeological and historic data to enrich our understanding and appreciation of this unique cultural landscape and the people who lived there throughout the centuries.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Celebrating the Contributions of a Community of Preservation: Forest Service Partners and Volunteers

Keywords

Spatial Coverage