Chaco Canyon

Chaco Canyon, sprawled in the desert of north-western New Mexico and uninhabited since the twelfth century, is one of North America's richest archaeological zones. This lavishly illustrated book is the first complete account of Chacoan archaeology, from the discovery of the ruins by Spanish soldiers in the seventeenth century through the scientific analyses of the 1970s. The authors follow the history of Chacoan archaeology with a vivid portrayal of the day-to-day lives of the Anasazi Indians, the Neolithic farmers who abandoned the region some 800 years ago. Though intended for the general reading public with an interest in archaeology, this book will be useful to professionals as well, as a compendium of information and photography hitherto scattered in numerous separate reports and monographs. Particularly valuable is a list of all investigated sites at Chaco Canyon, including location, features, dates, and other pertinent information.

David E. Stuart is associate provost and professor of anthropology at the University of New Mexico.