Movement, Migration, and Ceramic Exchange in Northeastern Arizona
Ceramics are an important part of the archaeological record and can help us understand the age and function of an archaeological site. Due to their unique composition of materials, they can also be used as a fingerprint of place on the landscape. Ceramic vessels, like people, are not static, and they often move around. Their presence or absence on a particular site or in a particular region can be telling. Ceramics typically move either through exchange or through group migration. Ben Pelletier examines the Kayenta ceramic tradition and how the diffusion of redware technology and the continuity of its designs may be evidence for a 14th-century migration into northeastern Arizona.
Future of Chaco and Aztec Research: How Collaboration Can Help
Chaco Canyon remains one of the most intensively investigated places in the American Southwest. Americans like Lt. Simpson first visited, surveyed, and mapped the area in 1849. The Hyde Exploring Expedition began the first major excavation at Pueblo Bonito in 1896. Institutional investigation continued until the 1950s, when the National Park Service began to take the lead on research and on the stabilization of these magnificent structures. Chaco Canyon has undoubtedly captured the mind and attention of the American public, and we have learned a great deal from its long history of investigation. Ben Pelletier examines the future of Chaco Canyon research and how collaborative archaeology conducted with descendant communities may help provide a more complete understanding of the “Chaco Phenomenon.”