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Between A.D. 1181 and 1200, in the early part of a climatically wet period, corn was imported to Chaco Canyon from a region outside the Chaco Halo (defined in this paper as the region between the base of the Chuska Mountains and Raton Wells). Strontium-isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analyses of 12 corn cobs dating to this period match 87Sr/86Sr ratios from five potential source areas, including: the Zuni region, the Mesa Verde-McElmo Dome area, the Totah, the Defiance Plateau, and Lobo Mesa. The latter two areas were eliminated from consideration as possible sources of corn in that they appear to have been unpopulated during the time period of interest. Therefore, it appears that the corn cobs were imported from the Zuni region,...
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Situated in a remote corner of northwestern New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park (CCNHP) was once the center of a sophisticated social, political and architectural civilization with a 50,000-square mile sphere of influence. The park protects the greatest concentration of Chacoan historical sites in the American Southwest and is arguably the most significant prehistoric site in North America. Following decades of unsuccessful attempts to develop usable near-surface water sources, the National Park Service constructed a 3,100-foot deep well into the Gallup Sandstone aquifer in 1972, providing the park with the first reliable drinking water source since it was established in 1907. The ~100-foot thick...
Previous analysis of 87Sr/86Sr ratios shows that 10th through 12th century Chaco Canyon was provisioned with plant materials that came from more than 75 km away. This includes (1) corn (Zea mays) grown on the eastern flanks of the Chuska Mountains and floodplain of the San Juan River to the west and north, and (2) spruce (Picea sp.) and fir (Abies sp.) beams from the crest of the Chuska and San Mateo Mountains to the west and south. Here, we extend 87Sr/86Sr analysis to ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) prevalent in the architectural timber at three of the Chacoan great houses (Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, Pueblo del Arroyo). Like the architectural spruce and fir, much of the ponderosa matches the 87Sr/86Sr ratios...
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This data release presents geologic map data for the surficial geology of the Aztec 1-degree by 2-degree quadrangle. The map area lies within two physiographic provinces of Fenneman (1928): the Southern Rocky Mountains province, and the Colorado Plateau province, Navajo section. Geologic mapping is mostly compiled from published geologic map data sources ranging from 1:24,000 to 1:250,000 scale, with limited new interpretive contributions. Gaps in map compilation are related to a lack of published geologic mapping at the time of compilation, and not necessarily a lack of surficial deposits. Much of the geology incorporated from published geologic maps is adjusted based on digital elevation model and natural-color...
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A study of arroyo evolution in northern New Mexico (Friedman and others, 2015) assessed geomorphic change in the Chaco Wash arroyo from the 1930s to 2000. As part of this study, in October 2000 a trench was excavated across the arroyo bottom and a high-precision (Real-time kinematic) GPS survey was conducted. GPS survey data were used to georeference a 1930s topographic map and to identify key geomorphic features, including the tops of the arroyo walls and the channel thalweg. Linear features were mapped in a GIS for use in extracting channel thalweg profiles, an arroyo cross section, and arroyo widths (1930s and 2000) as a function of distance down-valley. These features have been converted to shapefiles included...
    map background search result map search result map Chaco Canyon 1930s and 2000 geospatial data USGS 1:100000-scale Quadrangle for Chaco Canyon, NM 1976 MODFLOW-2005 and MODPATH models in support of groundwater flow model investigation of water resources at Chaco Culture National Historical Park Surficial geologic map database of the Aztec 1-degree by 2-degree quadrangle, northern New Mexico and southern Colorado: Contributions to the National Geologic Map Chaco Canyon 1930s and 2000 geospatial data USGS 1:100000-scale Quadrangle for Chaco Canyon, NM 1976 MODFLOW-2005 and MODPATH models in support of groundwater flow model investigation of water resources at Chaco Culture National Historical Park Surficial geologic map database of the Aztec 1-degree by 2-degree quadrangle, northern New Mexico and southern Colorado: Contributions to the National Geologic Map