The Famous, the Infamous, and the Unknown: A Just-So Story at the Intersection of Archaeology and History in Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, Southwest Colorado

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Sometimes, archaeologists make up stories to help explain what the archaeological record is telling them. These stories are sometimes whispered to trusted colleagues when no one important is listening. Occasionally, these stories are made more public, and, if a person has sufficient academic capital, they might even get published. This is a “just-so” story of sorts, but with the backing of history. The story concerns the archaeological survey of a 160-acre parcel of acquired land in Yellow Jacket Canyon, within Canyon of the Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado. Only one site had been previously recorded within the parcel, a small Pueblo III village with an estimated 25–40 rooms and at least 10 kivas. This site and several others found during the survey are intricately interwoven with a set of historic events and intriguing historical figures, all important in their own time. Viewed through the lens of history, some were honorable, some unscrupulous, and some deplorable.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36815.0