Chaco Canyon, the Architectural Heart of the Anasazi

Chaco Canyon, the Architectural Heart of the Anasazi Chaco Canyon is a famous archaeological area in the American Southwest. It is located in the region known as the Four Corners, where the states of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. This region was historically occupied by Ancestral Puebloan people (better known as Anasazi) and is now part of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Some of the most famous sites of Chaco Canyon are Pueblo Bonito, Peà ±asco Blanco, Pueblo del Arroyo, Pueblo Alto, Una Vida, and Chetro Kelt. Because of its well-preserved masonry architecture, Chaco Canyon was well known by later Native Americans (Navajo groups have been living at Chaco since at least 1500s), Spanish accounts, Mexican officers and early American travelers. Archaeological Investigations of Chaco Canyon Archaeological explorations at Chaco Canyon began at the end of the 19th century, when Richard Wetherill, a Colorado rancher, and George H. Pepper, an archaeology student from Harvard, began to dig at Pueblo Bonito. Since then, interest in the  area has grown exponentially and several archaeological projects have surveyed and excavated small and large sites in the region. National organizations like the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History and the National Geographic Society have all sponsored excavations in the Chaco region. Among many prominent southwestern archaeologists who have worked at Chaco are Neil Judd, Jim W. Judge, Stephen Lekson, R. Gwinn Vivian, and Thomas Windes. Chaco Canyon Environment Chaco Canyon is a deep and dry canyon that runs in the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico. Vegetation and wood resources are scarce. Water is scarce too, but after the rains, the Chaco river receives runoff water coming from the top of the surrounding cliffs. This is clearly a difficult area for agricultural production. However, between AD 800 and 1200, ancestral Puebloan groups, the Chacoans, managed to create a complex regional system of small villages and large centers, with irrigation systems and inter-connecting roads. After AD 400, farming was well established in the Chaco region, especially after the cultivation of maize, beans and squash (the three sisters) became integrated with wild resources. The ancient inhabitants of Chaco Canyon adopted and developed a sophisticated method of irrigation collecting and managing runoff water from the cliffs into dams, canals, and terraces. This practice- especially after AD 900- allowed for the expansion of small villages and the creation of larger architectural complexes called great house sites. Small House and Great House Sites at Chaco Canyon Archaeologists working at Chaco Canyon call these small villages small house sites, and they call the large centers great house sites. Small house sites usually have less than 20 rooms and were single-story. They lack big kivas and enclosed plazas are rare. There are hundreds of small sites in Chaco Canyon and they began to be constructed earlier than great sites. Great House sites are large multi-storied constructions composed of adjoining ​rooms and enclosed plazas with one or more great kivas. The construction of the main great house sites like Pueblo Bonito, Peà ±asco Blanco, and Chetro Ketl occurred between AD 850 and 1150 (Pueblo periods II and III). Chaco Canyon has numerous kivas, below-ground ceremonial structures still used by modern Puebloan people today. Chaco Canyons kivas are rounded, but in other Puebloan sites, they can be squared. The better-known kivas (called Great Kivas, and associated with Great House sites) were constructed between AD 1000 and 1100, during the Classic Bonito phase. Read more about Kivas Chaco Road System Chaco Canyon is also famous for a system of roads connecting some of the great houses with some of the small sites as well as with areas beyond the canyon limits. This network, called by the archaeologists the Chaco Road System seems to have had a functional as well as a religious purpose. The construction, maintenance and use of the Chaco road system was a way to integrate people living over a large territory and giving them a sense of community as well as facilitating communication and seasonal gathering. Evidence from archaeology and dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) indicates that a cycle of major droughts between 1130 and 1180 coincided with the decline of the Chacoan regional system. Lack of new construction, abandonment of some sites, and a sharp decrease in resources by AD 1200 prove that this system was no longer functioning as a central node. But the symbolism, architecture, and roads of the Chacoan culture continued for a few more centuries becoming, eventually, only a memory of a great past for later Puebloan societies. Sources Cordell, Linda 1997. Archaeology of the Southwest. Second Edition. Academic Press Pauketat, Timothy R. and Diana Di Paolo Loren 2005. North American Archaeology. Blackwell Publishing Vivian, R. Gwinn and Bruce Hilpert 2002. The Chaco Handbook, An Encyclopedic Guide. The University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City

7 Secrets to Getting a New Job You Love

7 Secrets to Getting a New Job You Love Competition out there is fierce- and getting fiercer. It can be hard enough to find any job- let alone the one you really want. Here are 7 job hunting strategies to help you find a new job you love  in the new year. 1. Burn your resume.No really. This won’t work in every situation, but as a novel strategy it just might work. Try thinking about a handful of companies you’d really like to work for, even if they aren’t advertising any open jobs. Then start actively researching the company- what they do, who they do business with, what their needs are, etc.Then, start learning to talk shop, and start making friends in that company or industry. This strategy requires basically outsmarting and bypassing the whole employment machine- i.e. never dealing directly with HR. It takes time- sometimes a lot of time- but can be just the strategy to get you in the place you really want to be, doing what you really want to do.2. Be selective.If you have to go a more traditional job search route, make sure you’re only applying to the best listings. Broaden out- look at search engines, job sites, company sites, networking sites, and every other avenue you can find. Consider working with a recruiter to get your resume in front of more decision-makers. Focus and narrow your search to jobs you know you’d really be suited for and places (both companies and geographical locations) where you’d be willing to live and work.3. Figure out what you really want.This is part of being selective- and will help you to hone your list. What do you really want out of your life, both your work life and your real life? How can you make the two work together? Develop and define the job you really want that allows you to fulfill yourself on all fronts. Don’t just look at postings and try to fit yourself into round holes. Craft square opportunities for your square peg and the rest will follow.4. Seek your dream.There’s no rule that says you canâ €™t research a company and a job you’d like, then write to your would-be supervisor at that company and express your enthusiasm for that particular job. Even if there aren’t any openings. Explain that this isn’t just another job to you, but your dream career- and how well you would be suited to both it and to the company.5. Be flexible.The pursuit of dreams can be a long process. Be willing to accept interim work, provided it won’t derail your bigger search, while you’re working towards your ultimate goal. Income can be a real asset to put you in a better position to continue working towards your dream.6. Figure out what you need to do.If there are any specific skills or qualifications you might need to get accepted into your dream position. You can find this out by asking a decision-maker in your field directly. Then start working to acquire those skills. The quicker you get them on lock down, the closer you are to your dream career.7. Get hel p.Ask a trusted friend or colleague for advice. Get a mentor. Make sure it’s someone you can trust to help you reach your goal, then lay out a strategy. It can be very helpful to be accountable to another person, also to have someone giving you a bit of extra perspective in your search.