Major Debates in Chacoan Archaeology with Paul Reed - S1E3

In this episode of Site Bite’s Season 1, we bring on Paul Reed to spar with Rob Weiner over varying interpretations of Chacoan archaeology. Paul starts off by reflecting on his early career working with the Navajo Nation from the late 80’s to early 2000’s and how that has shaped his perspectives on the need for Indigenous collaboration in archaeological research. The major debates we discuss are: the productivity of agriculture, population density, and the role of Great Houses at Chaco. After our professional debate, Paul talks to us about his ongoing activist work with Indigenous Groups, Federal agencies, and archaeological groups on protecting our archaeological heritage, such as Chaco, from energy development projects.

Links

• Benson, Larry V., Deanna N. Grimstead, John R. Stein, David A. Roth, and Terry I. Plowman
• 2019 Prehistoric Chaco Canyon, New Mexico: Importation of Meat and Maize. Journal of Archaeological Science 111:105015. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440319301025
• Bernardini, Wesley
• 1999 Reassessing the Scale of Social Action at Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Kiva 64(4), 447-470.
• McCool, Jon-Paul P., Samantha G. Fladd, Vernon L. Scarborough, Stephen Plog, Nicholas P. Dunning, Lewis A. Owen, Adam S. Watson, Katelyn J. Bishop, Brooke E. Crowley, Elizabeth A. Haussner, Kenneth B. Tankersley, David Lentz, Christopher Carr, and Jessica L. Thress
• 2018 Soil Analysis in Discussions of Agricultural Feasibility for Ancient Civilizations: A Critical Review and Reanalysis of the Data and Debate from Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. PLoS ONE 13(6): e0198290. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0198290
• Reed, Paul F.
• 2008 Salmon Pueblo as a Ritual and Residential Chacoan Great House. In Chaco’s Northern Prodigies: Salmon, Aztec, and the Ascendancy of the Middle San Juan Region After AD 1100, edited by Paul F. Reed, pp. 42-61. The University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City.
• Sofaer, Anna (director)
• 1999 The Mystery of Chaco Canyon. Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA. Stream at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/mysteryofchacocanyon
• Stein, John R., and Stephen H. Lekson
• 1992 Anasazi Ritual Landscapes. In Anasazi Regional Organization and the Chaco System, edited by David E. Doyle, pp. 87-100. Maxwell Museum of Anthropology Anthropological Papers 5. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.
• Contact For Guest:
• Paul Reed
• Email: pread@archaeologysouthwest.org

Carlton Shield Chief Gover

• Email: pawneearchaeologist@gmail.com
• instagram: @pawnee_archaeologist
• Twitter: @PaniArchaeology
• Website: https://www.colorado.edu/anthropology/carlton-gover

Robert Weiner

• Robert.weiner@colorado.edu
• Instagram: @chacoroadsproject

Affiliates

• Wildnote
• TeePublic
• Timeular