Chaco Canyon and the Chaco Phenomenon

Chaco Canyon has excited and baffled archaeologists for over a century. What makes one of the most famous and studied archaeological sites so enigmatic? Find out what made the Chaco Phenomenon such a unique moment in ancient history.
AA Trip survey link: my.trovatrip.com/public/l/sur...
Geography: 1:45
Early History: 3:10
Great Houses: 6:03
Economy: 18:39
Outliers: 24:59
Astronomy: 31:59
What was Chaco: 34:50
The End of Chaco Canyon: 40:47
Accountment: 44:00
Patreon: / ancientamericas
Facebook: / ancientamericas ​
Sources and Bibliography:
docs.google.com/document/d/1K...
Dr. Steve Lekson on Chaco Canyon: • What is Chaco Really? ...

[@JonnoPlays]

I'm really glad you're keeping your channel going steady. So many creators fell off or are trying to keep up with trends with annoying new content styles. Your channel is a real treasure in the historical and archeological KZbin community. Thanks and keep up the good work

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! That means a lot coming from another creator!

[@JonnoPlays]

@@AncientAmericas so hard to keep up with the trends. If you're content format is working don't change it. I'd say yours is working especially with how many likes this comment got. You're doing great work. It helped me get out of the downward spiral of alternate history channels which seem to be infecting everyone these days thanks to Joe Rogan.

[@AncientAmericas]

​@@JonnoPlays Agreed. There's no point in fixing a broken clock. That's awesome to hear! There's a lot of great history channels on KZbin and there are many that leave much to be desired.

[@JonnoPlays]

@@AncientAmericas I could see the point in fixing a broken clock, but I do believe there's no point in fixing a clock that isn't broken 😉 🕒 👀 🛠

[@AncientAmericas]

@@JonnoPlays haha! That's what I meant.

[@charleygnarly1182]

I have an experience I would like to share, having grown up here. This will be long. It may blow some minds, it may not, I may be called a liar. Whatever. Being raised in northern New Mexico I have had an ongoing spiritual/mental relationship with Chaco, and the surrounding ancient cities... lesser known cities like the one in Frijoles canyon, Bandelier, and Pecos, Canyons of the Ancients, and virtually unknown sites that dot the sangre de cristos, jemez, san juan foot hills and the Colorado plateau. This civilization was EVERYWHERE, from the sangre de cristos all the way to Nevada. Their empire was huge, with Chaco being the capital, or cultural center, complete with ancient highways that stretch all the way into Utah, Arizona and Colorado. They even found artifacts originating as far away as the Incan empire, chocolate, parrot feathers, etc. - which tells me they were trading with these mesoamerican and south american civilizations, if they were not an ASPECT of the same civilizations. They might even be of the same peoples. But I digress. In any case, I live and breathe the southwest, grew up next to the Taos Pueblo under the sacred Taos mountain and it's legendary, off limits Blue Lake (a deep lake in the mountains, sacred to the Pueblo, some have seen bright lights enter and exit. The Pueblo people believe "Kachinas" live inside the mountain- I told you this would get weird).. havinf some lifelong connections, I have been blessed with the honor to have been invited to some pretty sacred, off limits sweatlodges. That was lifechanging, and my first truly profound spirtual event I have witnessed.. I listened to the legends and lore, all that I was allowed to hear as an outsider, and seen some things with my own eyes that defy logic or any explanation from the conventional, outside world. New Mexico is an otherworldly place. And yes, I have seen UFOs- though I a not sure I would even call them that, and the natives have their own understanding of who and what they are. The stories and experiences I could tell of this area are endless, but let's get to Chaco Canyon: I rediscovered Chaco from an ex girlfriend who worked on an archeological expedition 15 to 20 years ago. Her guide was actually Diné, and had a lot to say about the area... this is my girlfriend's recollection of what the Navajo elder told her: he said, point blank there was a entity, or being, let me just say point blank.. she said he called it a "shapeshifter" that ruled over the Canyon and they sacrificed humans to this creature. They have found an astonishing amount of bones there and the new narrative is that they were cannibalistic- maybe, Im just saying what I heard. And she also said the Navajo man said this being, or shapeshifter, whatever it was - it caused great strife and conflict among the people of the valley. It would cause the surrounding cities to fight eachother and stay divided and at war, like some machiavellian type of sh*t. That may sound crazy to.. basically anyone, and thats fine. I'm just saying what came directly from an elder. And he is not the only one. A lot of people in the outside world (rest of America, that is, off the rez and indian country) have a very different view of history, and reality itself. I honestly feel sometimes like I was raised in two, parallel worlds - and it is difficult sometimes to communicate this subject matter with those who are strictly book intelligent and don't really know the true essence of what life is like in a place like Taos, or the things that go on there... but being an anglo with family ties to the conventional world, I can understand why people are the way they are, and scoff at these things. I get it. It sounds.. weird, fringe, bizarre. Too far fetched. And perhaps it is. But for some of us who have seen and experienced certain things, this is very real - and I take the native accounts very seriously. So with that said, I would like to say what I saw, which in my mind solidified the reality of this. What anyone else believes is not my business. This was back in 08 or 09, soon after I heard this story. I wanted to see it for myself. It had been years since I had been to Chaco, and I had been having my own experiences with some phenomena ever since I started going to the sweat lodges on the Pueblo- that is a different story. Somewhere off the beaten trail in a restricted area of the park, with clear "no entry" signs blocking us off from this canyon, I believe it was near the satellite ruins of Casa Rinconada - we ducked and crawled behind boulders to stay out of view. My girlfriend wanted to "show me something", and I followed her lead. We followed the canyon wall for some time, felt like I was walking back in time- somewhere out there even found a perfectly preservered inscription in cursive Castillan spanish, and a Conquistador's name. That itself was mindblowing, and put things in perspective. In Chaco Canyon, time stands still. There was an old fire which looked like it could have been a hundred or more years old, and pottery littered the area - pottery with fingerprints still on it. Fingerprints of it's makers.. still gives me chills. To add more perspective on what I saw, it is imperative that I convey that there is a distinction between petroglyphs of the ancestral Puebloans, and that of the Diné in this area.. the familiar chiseled spirals, lizards, kokopelli etc. we are used to seeing - more symbolic in nature - these are known ancestral puebloan, or anasazi. That is my understanding. But there are another kind of glyphs present at Chaco. These are VERY actual lifelike drawings, pictographs that are meant to convey detail and something very explicit. Etched with a sharp point, not chiseled. I don't know who made these with certainty, but I have heard they are from the Diné. I would like to emphasize just HOW detailed these pictographs are... whoever made them, they were serious about telling what happened here in graphic terms, not symbolically. The pictograph I walked up to was this: In the center, and above- seven winged, angelic looking beings in the skies looking below. They appeared to be gazing down on the gruesome scene below. On the left, facing right (from left to right): small children, looking frightened. Women, guarding them. In front of them were several severed heads, facing right. Their spinal cords were attached to their heads, dripping blood. They were in headgear of what looked like warrior attire and feathers. Now... On the right, facing left, towards the dismembered warriors and the woman guarding the children: This was a very tall, humanoid being, twice as tall as the human women figures. Claws. Tail, a long tail that looked like a monitor lizard's tail. And if that wasn't shocking enough, this being had what looked like a HELMET complete with a visor. It was definitely some kind of head gear. It has been years and I still remember this vividly in my mind. It changed a lot for me. whether or not this was a depiction of something real or imagined later by the Diné, it was the headgear that did it for me. We took pictures, yes, but my ex still has them somewhere on here digital camera's archives. I am still trying to retrieve them and if I can't, I remember the general area of where this place is, and I will return some day to photograph it because it blows my mind they haven't surfaced yet. As we were near the car, a native man was looking at the 'visitor guide' panel and smiling this devillish grin. We exchanged a few words and he said "its nothing like they say it is. What happened here. Nothing like they say it is..." I believe him. Whether or not these beings were real or imagined... it sheds some light on the Mesoamerican gods of sacrifice, and the feathered serpent. The snake gods. And that is a whole other discussion. Whoever the observers were, or the seven "angels"... my only guess is the "seven holy people" I hear about in Diné mythology and oral history, or a representation of the Pleiades. The seven sister stars. But I don't know. In the end, I'm just an anglo white boy who grew up in the land of enchantment, that hauntingly beautiful land of so many secrets... and I have seen things with my own eyes in that realm of the Americas, that I cannot explain. No ones gotta believe it, but unless you've grown up there, at the very least been there and immersed yourself in the land, culture, history and legends .. seen these things, experienced the phenomena... it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or believes. I'm not even sure what I believe. But I know for damn sure, the mainstream narrative of the Americas is missing some vital components to the story. With or without shapeshifting, man eating monsters. What a crazy place. Still can't believe New Mexico, and the fascinating civilizations before us are slept on 😂like they are. Thanks for reading a glimpse of my experiences there, if anyone actually read this.

[@FaithLikeAMustardSeed]

NM is an accursed place indeed. I'm an Arizonan and used to explore all over and it became clear that God didn't want me in NM. Even in recent times you've got Roswell, nukes, and Epstein ranches. And I have seen some things! Let me just say that Transformers isn't based on nothing.

[@WildlyExuberant]

I believe giants ruled over this area. Did you take the Covid Vaxx?

[@christopherbarbera1021]

Great story! Let me know if you ever come across those photos again, I would love to see it.

[@kimmieanne9157]

In 2019, I was oddly drawn to Taos. I don't even remember exactly when it started. I was 54 and single and my daughter was grown. So, I actually sold my mobile home and all my belongings, except what fit in my Ford Escape. Crossed the country from Ohio, alone. Lots of time for reflection, but I didn't know why Taos. I cried upon arrival. I came up over the main road overlooking Taos, and I knew it's what I needed. I cried all the way thru town..until arriving at the house where I rented a room, from what turned out to be a wonderful older woman that has become a lifelong friend. She spent 10 years there. I was lucky enough to be there for almost 2 years. I had to return to Ohio for reasons beyond my control. I hope someday to return.. The Taos Pueblo, the Plaza, the Museums, The Rio Grand Canyon, The Taos Hum, the People..I met many people from many places. I Learned about a lot of local history and culture. Native and Mexican..I went everywhere I could go. Not tourist attractions, but special places. I heard about the Sacred Lake, but never had time or opportunity to be invited there.. what an incredible honor for you to experience that.. the last few months in NM, I had the upputunity to live off grid, out of my SUV, on the Navaho reservation, near Gallup. It was special. I explored the whole area, that I could in a short time. I found fossils, crystal formations, and I saw and experienced many beautiful moments there. I saw a UFO as well. Many secrets are in Northern New Mexico..I feel incredibly blessed to have experience what I did in that time. It changed me forever..Thank you for the wonderful story of your experiences. You have been blessed as well. I wish I could've spent more time in Chaco, but maybe someday I can return!

[@solarwinds-]

No decent person will call what you have experienced a lie. I'm looking forward to reading your comment above.

[@pipe2devnull]

My theory is that Chaco was the Las Vegas of the time. Hence the legend of The Gambler. You could gamble with jade markers or go see a fabulous show at Pueblo Bonito. The reason not much is known about this is because’What happens in Chaco, stays in Chaco.’

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

_That trickster had loaded die. Why he never rolled "big red."_

[@WeighedWilson]

Perhaps the gambler discovered that the odds in certain gambling games like dice are asymmetrical. In other words a seven is more likely to roll than an eleven. Concealing that knowledge would allow him to win more often and to be considered wizard-like.

[@nahnahahaah6265]

Think more like a roman villa. A household.

[@pipe2devnull]

The town (city?) of Split Croatia was once a large Roman Villa. The streets were once the hallways. Buildings were once galleries.

[@jeremysmith4620]

I'm just glad their legacy left us such a delicious reminder of their civilization, the Chaco Taco. I understand how people think aliens were involved because I'm not sure how they kept ice cream frozen in the desert weather, much less the chocolate and the nuts on there. Such an advanced and mysterious people.

[@AshiwiZuni]

This makes me incredibly happy to see. These are my ancestors. This is the area my tribe currently resides. I am Zuni and Hopi. Although you can only (legally) claim one tribe, at the end of the day, this site is one of the areas that show what kind of cultures every indigenous person from this area came from. Thank you for highlighting this amazing site!!!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@r.deeblanche6939]

In Europe especially, borders between nations were absurdly fluid. You being forced to pick one tribe is like telling someone from Alsace-Lorraine that they have to pick German or French or else. Ridiculous.

[@younginslakk7700]

Ima mutt but same

[@John_Weiss]

@@r.deeblanche6939 That … actually has kinda happened since 1945. Alsacians have had their identity overwritten with Frenchness and were encouraged to suppress German custom and language.

[@Michel411]

⁠@@John_WeissUnfortunately that’s true. Not just in Alsace and Lorraine, but Brittany, Provence, Corsica etc. France had a lot of indigenous diversity between different cultures and linguistic groups. Only these days are some people trying to preserve their old languages etc, but a lot of damage was done by previous governments who only wanted one kind of “French” identity, even though these regional identities have existed for many centuries.

[@egretion]

Since I work as an over the road truck driver I've had a chance to visit most of the sites in the USA you've covered in your episodes. Thank you for teaching me about Poverty Point, the copper veins in the Michigan peninsula, Cahokia in Missouri and now Chaco Canyon!

[@AncientAmericas]

Glad you got to see this too! You've got a sweet gig being able to travel and see these sites.

[@bobcohen4008]

I visited Chaco Canyon in the 90s. I recall the road as being pretty terrible and I'm picturing a truck shaking itself to death while attempting to drive it. We were using a rental car and I'm glad we didn't have to be anyplace in particular that evening. But I'm glad we visited Chaco!

[@n8vmilk]

@@bobcohen4008I visited in the early 10’s and it was still terrible but they had a nice little observatory and great camping sites nearby on a river. It was a great trip. Spent all day getting a tour with a park ranger

[@guaporeturns9472]

I lived in Los Alamos years ago(79-80) Found innumerable pottery shards and even a few petroglyphs in remote , precarious locations in the area. Special area

[@secretariatgirl4249]

I live in So. NM and went to Chaco a few years ago. I booked a private tour with a museum archaeologist and spent the whole day there, exploring room after room. It was amazing. I then spent time at the Aztec ruins as well. Then I drove to Four Corners and saw Shiprock. It was an amazing trip. On my first trip before moving from NJ to NM, I went to the Taos Pueblo and, of couse, Gila.

[@yaboi269]

Protect yo Chaco

[@michaeljenkins903]

It's a truly special place. Back in the late 80's, I remember the feelings of shock and awe when I first drove into Chaco Canyon, after navigating over 50 miles of gravel roads in a rental car. (As a tour guide in Moab once told me, "There are some places you can't go in a 4WD, but you can go anywhere in a rental car.") I was absolutely stunned and amazed by the massive structures and the beautiful stone masonry, particularly at Chetro Ketl and Pueblo Bonito. In my upbringing, I had been conditioned to believe that all of the indigenous people north of Mexico were very primitive hunter-gatherers, living in tipis or small pit houses. How could I not have been told that they were building 4-story, 700-room edifices in a remote canyon in New Mexico over a thousand years ago? The drive down the road through the middle of the canyon, with all the huge structures on the north side, and the Great Kiva on the south side, was a true eye opener. It started me on an obsessive quest to travel to as many of the native American ruins in the Southwest as I could get to on somewhat gimpy knees, including Aztec, Casa Grande, Montezuma's Castle, Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and many smaller sites in southeastern Utah and Arizona. But Chaco drew me back on numerous occasions, where I hiked every trail and walked through and around every ruin, which was allowed back then. That included climbing up out of both the north and south sides of the canyon and hiking to collapsed structures built some distance from the canyon, on high spots with commanding views, perhaps as watchtowers to spot invaders. While you are not allowed in the Great Kiva any more, back when I first started visiting Chaco, when there were very few visitors, I had the experience of sitting alone in the middle of the Great Kiva at midday and meditating, a moving experience. If you haven't been to Chaco, put it on your bucket list. They've even paved part of the road, the last time I was there, 8 or 10 years ago, but if most of it is still unpaved, don't try it if is threatening rain. You won't get stuck, but the clay becomes incredibly slippery when wet and you have to stay in the middle of the road to keep from slipping off into a ditch or a ravine, as I found one day on my way out, in the rain, the most harrowing 2-hour drive in my life, where thankfully I only met one oncoming vehicle, and we both managed to avoid slipping off the road.

[@bertanelson8062]

Yes, I was there 2009. Stayed for 10 days at campsite. Didn't want to leave. Hiked & climbed every day & was deeply impressed by the energy there.

[@fredparkinson1289]

Yep, both roads into Chaco are crap.

[@weswaters495]

I'm a life long resident of New Mexico from the south eastern corner, and I've always been fascinated by the Chaco Canyon Culture and the societies abilities to build structures that stood as the largest man made structure up until the 1800's . With a complex of hundreds of rooms and as high as 5 stories tall. The astrological importance of where they layout within the village. I personally think that Chaco Bonito was a pilgrimage destination for thousands of people who traveled the roads and paths across the southwest and northern Mexico. Simply outstanding and amazing

[@cooksburg]

Cool video! I am from one of the NM pueblos and visit Chaco recreationally and religiously. The place was inhabited by so e different groups of peoples over time and the mix of findings delute the original use. I was told that this place was a holy land where only the enlightened were allowed. They would pilgrimage to this place, and meet others who would discuss and share remedies, treatments, planting, songs....kind of like a school. Then the elders would go back to their own people and teach them. They have found exotic feathers, shells from both coasts, and even chocoa. Maybe for trade or for ritual. One story of why they abandoned is, something very powerful and infinite was discovered. Something that all the elders deamed to much for humankind. And they left or removed it. I have so many stories about this place but i think thats what makes it special, is the way it speaks to each individual. Be safe!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I appreciate you sharing the information!

[@elizabethhiebert1859]

@cooksburg. Yes!!!! Thank you so incredibly for your generosity and conscientiousness as you provided this significant missing information!! Blessings to you and yours always!

[@banaabekwegirl5731]

I am from a Canadian FN, and have heard similar.

[@carnooo]

A Southwestern here, ever since I saw the image of a Chacoan great kiva in your intros, I've always been hyped about you eventually going over Chaco Canyon and the surrounding region. I've had a (frankly, maybe unhealthy) obsession over the Pre-Columbian history of the Southwest for the past 2-ish years, chiefly the Ancestral Puebloans. The Hohokam video was also a treat when it released. And I'm always excited to learn more about the history of this corner of North America, plus improve my knowledge with more accurate information. I can't wait for you to revisit the Pueblos again in the future, but nevertheless, ALL your videos have been a gold mine on this platform!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@heremapping4484]

Same type of obsession here, but concerning the US southeast/Mississippian civilization region

[@xikano8573]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@user-qf4py6oh6b]

I wholeheartedly concur!!

[@frankjoseph4273]

Apparently, a large scale drought hit after 1000. Most every pueblo today in NM is in river valley

[@UATU.]

I live near Chaco and love going there when it is empty to sit quietly soaking up the natural sounds and feel the passage of time. I recommend reading Craig Childs’ books for a real feel for the period. He walked along the old pathways between various ruin sites in NM, CO, AZ, UT and writes so vividly you can imagine yourself walking with him.

[@hillbillyhistorian1863]

I heartily second the recommendation of Child’s “House of Rain”

[@AncientAmericas]

Well, I know what my next audiobook is gonna be!

[@sarahwatts7152]

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll be looking it up

[@darkwynggryph]

Hypotheses about Chaco’s main role aside, it’s seriously impressive how its people managed to build the place and eke out a living in such a harsh environment. Sometimes I feel that Aridamerica (at least that’s what we name the region in MX) doesn’t get enough credit for its achievements, past or present!

[@brucenorman8904]

Environment may not have been as harsh in the past.

[@billwilson-es5yn]

That entire region used to be wetter so probably had fresh water springs that flowed during the arid months for human use and irrigation of crops.

[@Jacob-yg7lz]

One thing I always wondered about the sun daggers was how useful they'd be as a time telling device if everyone had a walk a week to the sparsely inhabited town to check anyways. IMO the fires kinda clear it up, because from what I can tell they can only really encode one message at a time, which would be okay for an "it's the equinox plant/harvest your corn and celebrate" kind of thing

[@TealCheetah]

I live a couple hours from Chaco. I have fond memories of going there a few times during the winter with my dad. We had the park to ourselves. Near by is the Bisti Badlands which are pretty awesome too.

[@BitStClair]

I just have to say Choco is a couple hours from anywhere unless you figure out the crown point route. It is shown on the map... I hope it was a good memory for my son as well.

[@Lawarch]

This is a truly glorious Thursday the 20th when an Ancient Americas video comes out

[@AncientAmericas]

Just doing my part to improve the day!

[@pinchevulpes]

I’ve been begging for this ancestral Pueblo episode forever it’s a complex cookie to crack, like why are the roads ALWAYS leading to Chaco and WHY are they so wide? In times before beasts of burden? Was it to move the Timbers from the chuska? Or massive amounts of people, quickly at any given time..

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

_I released doves!_

[@syndahra]

I grew up in Southern Colorado and Chaco Canyon has always been an amazing place for me and my family. I am so happy to learn more about the southwest in general but Chaco Canyon in particular. Thank you for an informative video.

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome!

[@SkunkApe407]

I've worked this site as an Archaeological Surveyor. I'm excited to see what you put together on what is one of my favorite digs. You always do an excellent job of compiling and presenting these videos. I'm expecting nothing less than your usual, superb standard!

[@AncientAmericas]

Wow! Thank you! Working at Chaco Canyon must have been an amazing experience!

[@SkunkApe407]

@@AncientAmericas Chaco and Caral-Chupacigarro are the highlights of my career. I can't even begin to describe how it feels to stand in the middle of such a site, surrounded by evidence that the pre-Columbian Americas were a vibrant, diverse, and wholly amazing place. You do a wonderful job of illustrating that fact.

[@28105wsking]

Thank you for taking the time to give your informed feedback. Its nice of you. And Im glad to know that I can trust the info.

[@SkunkApe407]

@@28105wsking I will vouch for the veracity of the info contained in these videos. To date, the videos you see here are the most comprehensive, in-depth, and well-researched I've seen on this entire platform. By far my favorite channel on YT, but I'm admittedly biased, since I focused my entire career on the pre-Columbian Americas.

[@soniastarmorales8013]

This is a very excellent video. In another documentary, archeologists presented that during drought and famine, the Aztecs came up to Four Corners: Chaco Canyon also Mesa Verde and the Aztecs cannibalized the ancient Pueblo Natives. The archeologists stated evidence of that is the forensic genealogical testing of the skulls of the skull walls in Mexico City showed belong to the ancient Pueblo Natives. Throughout even ancient European history, the victors would keep the skulls of the deceased whom they murdered as trophies, even using the skull as a drinking cup. I'm just glad for my Mayan heritage and believe that my Mayan ancestors fled deep into the jungle and into the Caribbean to escape the Aztecs long before the prophecy was fulfilled of the Spaniards arriving. More videos Please. You do a great job😊

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Do you remember the name of that documentary?

[@atlasaltera]

All of these theories are very interesting and I'm excited to see what LiDAR illuminates in the future. The road networks and ceremonial constructions remind me of how all roads lead to Cusco in the Andes... Also, the name "Aztec Ruins" for one of the sites probably doesn't help with the discounted the Aztec ancestors theory hehe.

[@AncientAmericas]

I get frustrated with anachronistic names and this one bugged me throughout the process.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

@@AncientAmericas Where did the Aztecs really come from?

[@princevaliant335]

The Aztecs are possibly of the same stock as the general population of the area. The Nahuatl speaking or Uto-Aztecan people. In the same way Irish, Welsh,, Scottish people are Celtic. These include Aztecs, Hopi,, Pueblo, Commanche, Utes, Shoshone and others.

[@princevaliant335]

​@@KathrynsWorldWildfireTrackingThe Shoshone and Hopi people have oral traditions that the Aztecs lived to there West. Aztec tradition says they came from the north before moving south to the valley of Mexico. If we go with the Hopi and Shoshone oral history that would put the Aztecs In central Nevada.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

@@princevaliant335 Thank you! You're so knowledgeable. :) General classes on Native North America not only change often, but, well, they're so "general." Now my curiosity is...why did they migrate? Did they lose a war? Or just want greener pastures?

[@dexterisabo3137]

I've been near that part of NM but closer to AZ, and it was a wild place. An other worldly place. We were out there looking at property and the scenery could drop you to your knees. All the environmental elements came together in a way so buetiful that it felt like a church. I remember that it felt like God was about to appear before me. Or at least his feet. For real. I went looking for land and I found a religious experience in its place, in THAT place. I don't know what it is, but there really is something extremely special about the 4 corners. Hell the whole Mogollon Rim is magic. I love northern Arizona like I was a Navajo in another life. And despite what some might say about the region, what I felt didn't feel "alien", it felt divine. It didn't trigger as sense of anxiety, fear or unease, it triggered feelings of near supplication to the tree filled valley and painted rock landscape stretched out before me. I felt the urge to sing for my God the moment I crested the hill and looked upon where the land met the sky.

[@RonJacksonToahani]

I know exactly what you are experiencing when in the 4 Corners area. I am Navajo and our prayers, songs, creation stories reflect the spiritually and sacredness of this beautiful area.

[@elsiecater156]

How wonderful that you were open to accepting this wonderful gift and truly understand the gift, we do not understand how some ancient spirit is soaked in these places but those who feel it spiritually are very changed by the experience and are blessed

[@itsenergybob8917]

Awesome place. I went there a few years ago. There's a trail that goes up one hill to a perch where you can sit and see hundreds of miles away. The seat itself is worn smooth from thousands of people sitting there over hundreds of years.

[@lwaldron9745]

Back during the so-called Harmonic Convergence of August 1987, believers in that kind of thing gathered for the Big Day at "powerful" locations around the world. In New Mexico, many traveled to Chaco Canyon for the spiritual atmosphere. But many of us had to go to work instead of celebrating. For those folks, alternate events were prepared. In Santa Fe, Nick Evangelo's bar hosted a taco buffet. The motto was, "If you can't go to Chaco, come and have a taco."

[@goldenanticstoo9686]

Was one of many in Chaco Canyon Aug 1987 during Harmonic Convergence…lots of folk brought telescopes to view planets and other galaxies…the coyotes howling at night was amazing, sound bouncing off the canyons…great time!

[@someinteresting]

I can't wait for the sequel about the Ancestral Pueblos. So interesting.

[@dragonvliss2426]

I've been fascinated by Ancestral Puebloan culture since I first learned about it ( as Anasazi ) when I was in high school. My family is from this area, and my Anglo grandparents moved into the Santa Fe area with the early migrations of Europeans into this area. Now that I have discovered this channel, I hope to track down all your videos. I love the old joke that the Native American came on foot, the Spanish came on horseback, and the Anglos waited until they could take the train in comfort.

[@AncientAmericas]

Haha! Never heard that joke before!

[@magicemeryball]

Had the pleasure of visiting this site a few months ago and was waiting for this video since then! It's unbelievable to see it in person but be warned - the road into and out of it is one of the worst I've ever been on. My little Toyota Yaris could barely handle it. Just adds to the adventure and made the trip that more special!

[@AncientAmericas]

Sometimes the worst roads take you to the best places.

[@ruthanneseven]

I've been down that awful road twice. Once by accident, then by design because the views are astonishingly beautiful! Get in from Farmington to avoid it. I had quite the adventure there!

[@TheJhtlag]

Are you serious? I rented a Yaris too way back when, even drove the million dollar highway in it, hated that car. But to your point I tried to get to CC from the east and you'd really like to cover the 20 miles or so doing a little faster than say 20 mph. but yeah that dirt, be very easy to roll the car. then I got to that aroyo which had a flow of water and I wasn't going to risk it. Had my tent and everything, was going to camp out.

[@magicemeryball]

@@TheJhtlag Luckily(?) there was no rain lol. I didn't realize how bad and how long it was until already halfway there and at that point I couldn't just give up. It was definitely a slow, painful crawl. My face on a photograph from the end of the road definitely tells the whole story.

[@DannyWJaco]

The detailed info and large number of images is superior to most documentaries in this genre. As a creative media enthusiast, I can imagine the amount of time spent on this production. Thanks for producing quality work! 👍🏼

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@melaniemckay2270]

Love your channel and so happy to see this episode on Chaco canyon. I was fortunate to have done a nursing internship in the Four Corners area in 1988 and got to visit Chaco Canyon. I have been fascinated by the area ever since. Thank you!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@archeojoel]

Great video. As one of Dr. Lekson's former grad students I must say you did a great job with this topic.

[@AncientAmericas]

Wow! That's an awesome compliment. Thank you!

[@subconsciouslyinyahead7977]

Who the hell is dr ekkson?nvm made it to the end lol

[@TheBullethead]

Well, that video certainly left several big elephants in the room unmentioned. #1 would be that the principle burial in the lavish tomb in Pueblo Bonito was a native of Mexico based on isotopes in his teeth and also on their deliberate (and no doubt painful) reshaping for cosmetic purposes, which was a thing down Mexico way but not amongst the Ancestral Puebloans. But the biggest elephant is the unequivocal and rather extensive evidence for cannibalism during Chao times, and that this cannibalism (and other forms of brutality born out in the bones) being used a method of social control by the elites to keep the peasants down. And this control seems to have been effective. During Chaco times, the vast bulk of the region's population lived in the "slave quarters" aka "Small Houses" which were pretty much indefensible militarily while the elites lived in the fortified "Great Houses", and evidence for inter-community violence aka war is at its lowest in the whole history of the US Southwest. Some scholars call it "Pax Chaco". It's really the only point in the history of the US Southwest that entire communities weren't massacring each other fairly regularly and also about the only one when the bones showing signs of violent death were mostly pummeled to death and then butchered, cooked, and eaten. Every person alive today is the descendant of a cannibal. It's been part of humanity's history since WAY WAY back. So no disrespect to the Ancient Puebloans. I've got gnawed bones in my own backstory, same as everybody else. It happened. Move on. BUT, at the time and place of the Chaco Phenomenon, cannibalism was WAY more part of Mesoamerican culture than North American culture, and this continued to be the case right up until Contact. For them as would like a scholarly review of the evidence for cannibalism and warfare, I recommend "Man Corn: Prehistoric Cannibalism and Violence in the Prehistoric American Southwest", by Christy G. Turner II, and "Prehistoric Warfare in the American Southwest" by Steven A. LeBlanc. In any case, the Chaco Phenomenon was a unique period in American prehistory. Although it's a circumstantial case due to lack of inscriptions, it does appear that there was some sort of "empire" centered on Chaco Canyon, with roads and beacon stations to enhance centralized control. Prior to this and after its collapse, it was every village (or, later, every group of neighboring allied villages) against all comers. But, from what the spade has turned up, I wouldn't have wanted to be a citizen of the Chaco empire.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks for the feedback! Regarding the first elephant, is there a paper or study I could read on that? I didn't come across that in my research and that's a really interesting fact that I'm going to knock myself for missing. For #2, I actually had a section on cannibalism but decided to remove it because the episode was getting pretty long and because cannibalism was part of a wider cultural phenomenon in the southwest. Thus, I thought it better to save it for when we discuss ancestral pueblo culture in a later episode. I only came across one site in Chaco Canyon had evidence of cannibalism so it doesn't seem to be any more or less present there than at other Southwestern sites. That's definitely a valid interpretation. We shouldn't automatically look at majestic ruins and assume that they are part of some noble legacy. The truth could have been much darker. The citizens and subjects of Chaco Canyon may have looked back on it with regret for all we know.

[@TheBullethead]

@@AncientAmericas As to the Mexican heritage of the principle burial in the lavish Pueblo Bonito tomb, yes, there are papers on this, which were cited extensively in the "Man Corn" book. Sadly, I seem to have misplaced my copy. Must have loaned it to a nephew when I was drunk. So I'll just order me another copy, damn the expense, and will get back to you on that. As to the association of cannibalism with Chaco, there is no doubt whatsoever, again extensively sited in "Man Corn" and backed up indisputably by more recent finds. IIRC, one "Small House" find had human feces in the sacred hearth and those feces contained bone chips DNA linked to the processed corpses on the floor of that same building. But anyway, I'll get back to you when I get another copy of "Man Corn".l

[@AncientAmericas]

@@TheBullethead Thank you. Appreciate the reply!

[@TheBullethead]

@@AncientAmericas Wow, my new copy of _Man Corn_ arrived already. I misspoke about any isotope analysis of the modified teeth--that apparently hasn't been done although, as the teeth are in storage, it could be. The teeth were modified, however, in what some consider diagnostically Mexican ways, and definitely not normal for the Chaco region. This is all discussed on pages 128-131 of _Man Corn_ . The teeth were found in Room 330 and published by Neil M. Judd in "The Material Culture of Pueblo Bonito", _Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections_ 124 (Publication 4172), Washington DC, 1954.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@TheBullethead Thank you! Very good to know!

[@TheTurtleinariver]

Had the absolute pleasure of visiting Chaco a few years ago. Absolutely breathtaking place. Was a pretty quiet day at the site too, not many people around. Really otherworldly and peaceful to walk amongst the structures and listen to the (very little) ambience of the desert.

[@artofescapism]

Super cool video! I have friends who researched this region for their theses, and it was always great getting to hear them ramble on about it!

[@kathyjohnson2043]

Chaco Canyon is one of the most amazing archaeological sites I have been fortunate to visit.

[@gottasay4766]

Me too!

[@freealter]

The Chaco meridian doesn’t have to be a grand plan by a specific faction, it could’ve just been the logic they followed “moving due south worked for us last time let’s do it again” or “the scouts checked out the north and it wasn’t very promising

[@andrewmantle7627]

What I truly love about your approach is your simple avoidance of authority. Just bringing what has been discovered to bear on the situation. Thank you.

[@williamharris8367]

This is another excellent video! I love how it presents complex topics in a manner accessible to non-experts. I also appreciate the recognition of different interpretations and academic perspectives. 20:59 -- I am _very_ interested in learning about long-distance trade networks, so thank-you for covering this somewhat niche topic.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@Gingerbreadley]

Oh boy my favorite site! This will be exciting.

[@phantomblooper84]

My wife and I visited Chaco a few months ago. It was amazing. However, watch out for the potholes on the highway going to it, they are huge and there is no warning. A car behind me hit one too fast and caught 2 feet of air.

[@AncientAmericas]

Good to know!

[@TakeMeToYourLida]

Great coverage of this topic. I’ve learned about Chaco before but you connected a lot of pieces of the story and brought new info I hadn’t heard before. Thank you

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@AncientAmericas]

If you're interested in joining me on this trip, please fill out the survey below! Please let me know if you have any questions! my.trovatrip.com/public/l/survey/theancientamericaschannel

[@zekeolopwi6642]

I haven't finished the vid so maybe you address this... BUT WHERE TF IS MY NEXT MAYAN HISTORY EPISODE 😤😤😤😤😤

[@nomadicvaquero2791]

What even is trovatrip? This is the first time I’ve heard about it

[@theodoresmith5272]

I've been to all 3. Mexico city and teotihuacan you can do in a day. The pyramids are impressive. There are a bunch of other ruins in the city and outside. Our lady of Guadalupe, and very cool square and down town with lots of cool town like San Miguel in the area. Oaxaca is very native American Mexico, cool town cool ruins. A couple days is enough. You could do both on the same trip..I loved palenque, the town too, and tikal is unique. The 360 jungle is amazing. But for all of it, no where is peru. Cusco alone has macchu to do, which is cool in that revine, but cusco itself and other tours like sacred valley and rainbow mountain. Plus in 2 weeks you can see any number of other site, nazca, just okay, chan chan and the moche in trujillo. I like trujillo too. The town square is very pretty and you could eat off the streets. Cajamarca has ruins, Norte Cinco outside lima and about a thousand other sites. Plus the food and seafood is great and it's cheap. People are awesomeness. Sorry I like Mexican food but beans 3 times a day gets old. A half a chicken, fries, some vegs and a drink is like $6-7.

[@theodoresmith5272]

Fly from city to city in peru to all the ruins you want every airport except lima is super easy. It's way faster and very cheap. A 2 hour flight from lima to cusco is 24 hours in the bus. Only use the bus on the coastal road or only going a little way up the mountains. Trust me.

[@handeggchan1057]

I live like a 5 hour drive from Chimney Rock on Colorado, but I'm down to go wherever in the Americas!

[@mathidra]

I've searched for potsherds in Chaco before with an archeologist! Love this channel and have been watching since the beginning, keep up the good work!

[@mathidra]

The ancient roads leading to and from the kivas and temples are still pretty visible today! When walking in Chaco, you constantly walk over old dumping heaps, thousands of years of history laying right on the ground! Its truly amazing to be there.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I like it when I see long time viewers comment.

[@GizzyDillespee]

The pre-industrial night sky, in a high desert, and not enough timbers for long careless nighttime burning... if we had the opportunity to see that, we would understand ancient ceremonial landscapes. The dark hearthless rooms remind me of this meditation that the Tibetans would do in their own hearthless windowless cells, no light allowed inside. Food would be brought to them, given thru a slat that opens, in the dark. The European explorers thought those people were prisoners, at first. They didn't have a concept of monks willingly engaging in dark retreat, like that, for years. The Tibetans came from a sort of similar climate, and even look eerily similar, for being from halfway around the world. It's possible that people in similar conditions, but widely separated, might develop practices that resemble each other somehow. At least before the cultural revolution, the Tibetans had sky burial charnel grounds, rather than cemeteries. They'd collect the bones, but not for a traditional western burial. There were stone mounds and stupas, but I suspect many of the bones couldn't be accounted for today, by archeologists, even though the Tibetans kept great records. With the Native Americans, the genocide happened a couple hundred years earlier, and by then the Chaco culture already had been replaced by descendants from elsewhere anyway. So, much less is known about the Chaco people. Personally, I think it was an important part of the "mapping the heavens on earth" project that seemed to be important to the people of the area (and the Andes, and the Nile, and elsewhere I'm sure, each with its own prejudices). The river of light, in the sky, that we call the milky way, looked absolutely astounding back then. Where it crosses the ecliptic seems to have been important. If someone's interested in figuring out the celestial map of the area, keep in mind that the equinoxes have a thousand years' worth of precession, since Chaco was aligned and constructed. People have proposed 3 Mesas as Orion's belt, and so on, that sort of thing. That's the theory I'm going with, and that the dark cells were part of their religious practice, for which darkness was a big deal (hence the covered kivas, too).

[@andrewhicks]

I’m visiting Chaco Canyon today, so this video came just in time. I’m really looking forward to my trip. Thanks!

[@manuelkfc7916]

WOOOO LET'S GOO, NEW VIDEO, i still keep re-watching the corn and potato videos you did a while ago, hell, i even have them in my mp3 when i'm at lunch and wanting to remember why am i even eating potatoes in the first place, truly, the information i appreciate in my day-to-day basis.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@manuelkfc7916]

@@AncientAmericas So i just remembered, it would be nice if we ever had a vídeo about beans, specially peruan beans, they're literally the best and creamiest! But don't mind me if you don't want to, it's fine, just a cool idea, i still like your content. (Have a good day mate).

[@y2kmav]

😊 Great vid! I bought the Robert Redford narrated documentary a few years ago on DVD. The mystery of Chaco canyon. Excellent documentary that goes in depth about it's celestial alignments. I had seen it here on KZbin in the early 2010s but it was taken down. I tracked it down and was able to buy it straight from their website.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks! I've never watched it but it won several awards and has a good reputation.

[@IndigenousHistoryNow]

Ooh exciting to see the channel growing into opportunities like this. You deserve it!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks man! Your channel also has a bright future ahead of it!

[@peterbroderson6080]

Thanks, I worked on the Salmon Ruins and the Pueko Canyon next to Chaco in 1971-72. I appreciate the update!

[@AncientAmericas]

Nice! That must have been really amazing to work there!

[@veldasnyder2144]

new mexico and as a child my folks did week end trips around the state to see sites and they are truly beautiful.. Im 65 now and can see them in my mind.

[@ocelot985]

amazing work bro. crazy a lot of americans dont know about these ruins across the southwest

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! To be fair, I was pretty ignorant of it most of my life. I learned about it briefly in school and then forgot about it until several years ago.

[@JamesMcComas-dr2xi]

Why do you think no one else is aware of history?

[@AncientAmericas]

@@JamesMcComas-dr2xi I can't speak for everyone and I'm hesitant to generalize but what I can say about my own experience is that I never learned about this in school or college.

[@RalphEllis]

Chaco canyon is actually a necropolis, not a city. The dead were brought to those big ceremonial circles, and then stored in the rooms behind. After three years the bones could be taken home. That is why the rooms have no windows, and no hearths. The dead don’t need windows or hearths. That is why there was such a small population - just a few custodians. That is how they could afford so many expensive imports. It is the same as Gobekli Tepi in Syria (Anatolia). And the dead were eventually taken back home - just as they were in Israel and Syria. Burial was big business in those days. The necropolis for Harran in northern Syria, for instance, was huge. The royal necropolis for Edessa in northern Syria also utilised drum-shaped tombs. I have written a longer article on this, in Ancient Origins. R

[@spacebunny4335]

Great video I've been waiting for an episode on this topic and I think it's been one of your best episodes so far.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@libertyblueskyes2564]

I love this series. Informative, good visual material and a very human perspective. So many different peoples that I have wondered about and some I didn't even know about discussed in detail. Thanks so much.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@TealCheetah]

I am not at all surprised to hear that the population was quite low. Going there in modern times (I realize the climate is a bit different) it's such a harsh landscape and it *feels* like a place that wouldn't have very many people.

[@favoriteswubby]

Yeah 👍. I've been checking daily for the next episode.❤. What a great time to be alive 😁

[@AncientAmericas]

Sorry it's late!

[@johnchavez1815]

I’ve been waiting for this episode since I found your channel!!

[@AncientAmericas]

Sorry it's late.

[@parmareggiano6410]

You did this like a week after I took a road trip there didn’t you anyways AAAAA I LOVE THIS SO MUCH Chaco Canyon is MY FAVORITE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN THE WORLD AMD I LOVE THIS SOOOO MUCH PLEASE MAKE MORE STUFF ABOUT THE SOUTHWEST THIS IS AWSOME AAGSAJSJAJSAKSJWKSJKSJAJAKAKS

[@rfwhyte]

Another absolutely fantastic video. Exceptionally interesting subject matter presented exceptionally well.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@obamabiden]

a giant building with 700 rooms, most don't seem to be made for living in, fascinating! another great video, the story of the gambler shares some unusual similarities with a Navajo story i heard about the same site, both involve slaveholding rulers forcing others to build the greay houses, but for different reasons

[@tuomasronnberg5244]

Sounds like a hotel for traders and their store rooms to me. The great number of trade goods from far away places found there supports this.

[@WesWaters-dz4sk]

I think most rooms were used as graineries, or produce storage, maybe even for produce trade and sales. It seems to me that Chaco could have been a place many people came together for trade, for celebration, and to basically party. Maybe those small rooms held food for many for a length of time, or even like a large flea market where people could make goods and sale or trade openly.

[@clearsig]

Thank you for a concise and coherent summary of the research on Chaco Canyon. After visiting Chaco Canyon last week myself, I came away eager to learn as much about the site as I could. Your video provides a convenient overview of the main areas of inquiry, without the irritating sensationalism that mars a lot of similar content these days. In addition to Lekson's book, I would recommend Jill Neitzel's 'Pueblo Bonito' and 'Puebloan Ruins of the Southwest' by Rohn & Ferguson.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@johnchavez1815]

Watching again because it’s so awesome. Great to include stories of the Navajo about the Gambler. I am half Navajo and half Pueblo so it’s great to hear the two sides of the Chaco phenomenon being explained. Even Dr. Lekson is a great inclusion. A kind and witty man he is with some very interesting proposals. I would love to visit casas grandes one day and make the connections as he did as I’ve been to Aztec and Chaco many times. Truly remarkable work you do. I’d love to see future episodes about other people’s and cultures in the SW that utilized masonry.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Dr. Lekson is a joy to read and he's got a lot of very interesting ideas. We'll definitely return to the Southwest in the future.

[@treekangaroo.7691]

i'd love to se a video on religious traditions of different peoples of the americas

[@TheBlapSurgeon]

I'm always excited to watch new videos from this channel. Truly underrated

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@mgrd1118]

I love your channel so much! I knew nothing about the Americas' history before but thanks to your very well documented videos I have discovered how rich, diverse and interesting it is :)

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@kimberlygaray7860]

Another great documentary. Thank you for making videos on lesser known civilizations in the Americas.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@joshuawayne9811]

With everything we know about the site, it leads me to believe it was used mainly for two purposes; a trade and ceremonial hub, and a niche community of advanced artisans. The place where native jewelers and crafters and such from all over came to study and hone their respective crafts.

[@AncientAmericas]

That's definitely possible!

[@josepholiveira2873]

My Wild Uneducated Hypothesis: Chaco Canyon was the equivalent of Martha's Vineyard. Giant manors, barely inhabited, a permanent agrarian population living in smaller homes? It might be a place where wealthy and powerful people could come on a seasonal basis, chill in their big manors, import everything they need, buy/coerce goods and services from the permanent population, and then go to their 'normal' home. You don't need to stress about habitability in a seasonal home.

[@AncientAmericas]

Let's just add it to the pile of theories!

[@Gildedmuse]

But wouldn't they still need hearths for the cold nights? And as a nanny for rich folks, they still leave plenty of trash....

[@Rytheking2]

Been reading a lot of David Roberts books on the Pueblo so I’m very hyped for this!

[@Big_Un]

Thank you for posting this. Nicely presented and very well explained. It popped up in my YT feed. I'm looking forward to watching some of your other content. Another video that showed up (by coincidence or algorithm?) was this one: "There are No Anasazi Descendants" from the Navajo Traditional Teachings channel where they talk about the same area and peoples. (I'm not claiming any judgements about anything in either video being right, wrong, or accurate. Just a telling from another perspective that some people might find interesting.)

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I hadn't seen that video until people recommended it to me in the comments. You are correct that the Navajo accounts are at odds with the scholarly consensus. That said, both sides have merit and deserve out consideration.

[@John_Weiss]

I wonder what the Hopi would have to say about the place… well, _if_ they were willing to talk. I had a National Parks guy who was indigenous tell me that a Hopi he worked with told him that they [the Hopi] _knew_ what _really_ went down at Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and the like, but were not allowed to tell outsiders about it for religious reasons. Oh … one more thing: I'm not inclined to believe Navajo tales about the past of the area, since the Navajo also claim to be native _to_ the 4 corners area, when other Puebloan people have their own oral histories detailing when the Navajo migrated into the region from elsewhere. And boy howdy did they migrate! They are the southernmost Dine/Dene, an ethnolinguistic group _in Northern Canada._ It actually constitutes a full language family, Na-Dene, and the Navajo language is [one of the] the southernmost member of the Na-Dene language family, thousands of miles away from the nearest other Na-Dene languages. So the Navajo claim to have always been in that area, but there's clear evidence that they're from thousands of miles further north. I'll stick to what the Hopi and the Zuni have to say about the Ancestral Puebloans and their ruins, thanks.

[@Quickshot0]

Very interesting, seems a bit like a proto civilization starting up and then fading away again. As we've gotten good archeology in ever more places, we've started finding some other things that at least in some aspects sound a bit like this. Places that get built but then become abandoned and things go back to how they were before... or at least seem to. At the least it reminds a little bit of the life cycle of Göbekli Tepe, or the first inhabitation period of Jericho, though over a shorter time frame and still plenty of differences. So could be totally wrong as well... but still, something to ponder at times. At the least it can make one wonder how many false starts there might have been before more large scale settlements became a more permanent feature in various parts of the world. So one way of looking at this could be that Chaco gave us a rather well preserved more recent example of such a phenomenon occurring. Showing us that such things could happen in many a place and with lots of local preferences. Well what ever the case, it's certainly quite fascinating.

[@elimartinez7704]

I wouldn’t say it faded away again. After the fall of Chaco the Puebloan civilization continued, though it’s center shifted to the Rio Grande valley.

[@BacchaeOphanim]

If I had to do a complete and utter guess, the set-up of these great and small houses sounds like a series of tourist resorts. Like, the great houses could be basically a hotel for travelers with mercantile or religious reasons, or wanting to see the sights around the place, and the small houses could be where the staff for the 'resorts' live. And the one burial chamber could be the founders of the place who just wanted to be buried on the property they established. We have a lot of hotel resorts in the world now that are just there because the vistas are nice - I don't people of the past being that much different than to want that. I have no reason to believe this beyond 'it kinda sounds like it', though - so feel free to knock massive holes in this hypothesis if you think I'm wrong. --- And yeah, I'd love to go travelling on a history tour. I was pretty gutted that I couldn't go on Milo Rossi's Turkey trip - though the financial troubles that prevented me from that would likely get in the way of joining on any you plan.

[@AncientAmericas]

Hey at this point, it's another theory for the pile!

[@pipe2devnull]

Chaco was the Las Vegas of the time. You gamble with the jade markers or go see a fabulous show at Pueblo Bonito.

[@lonnesower9413]

Maybe seasonal migrations, more recent pueblos are known to have had winter and summer residences.

[@earthknight60]

That fails the hearth test and the midden test. 'Tourists' still need warmth and need to eat and they leave garbage behind, far more than people tend to think.

[@Mareen333]

While in the area, be sure to catch Canyon De Chelly outside of Chinle, Arizona. You will need a Navajo guide, and the horseback tours with Justin are fabulous.

[@MROJPC]

Chaco and the civilizations that built the great ancient cities in the America’s left behind our superb cultural heritage that is uniquely ours as Americans. I have been privileged to have traveled to some of the world’s other great ancient cities, but these are our own. Places with the history and wonder of Rome or Angkor here in the Americas. I was lucky enough to tour through Chaco and Mesa Verde years back before access was less restricted (there are understandable reason why that happened). If you are able to, make a pilgrimage there, and if you are able to plan to go when there are less folks around to enhance your experience and help out the park system. The night sky while in an ancient city that was once a thriving center of a culture devoted to sky watching is incredible.

[@Gingerbreadley]

Great video! You really managed to touch on so much in a video this short. There is just so much to the site and you being able to condense it like this is great. I only have one minor quibble and that is that I feel you shut the Aztec connection door a little bit too hard Lekson even thinks it is possible as the legend of the founding of Case Grande has a second group continue south and some early Spanish sources also heard that the aztec came from around Case Grande. They also had their trade routes that came from Central America that they could have followed after being expelled or otherwise compelled to leave Chaco. (As bringing the Macaws likely would have taken someone bringing it all the way up) He still thinks it is an incredibly long shot but the possibility is there. Honestly it probably didn’t happen but I would hate to close the door so hard on it.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I actually had more to say about lekson (his take on T doors, his arguments for the alteptl model, etc) but it ended up being too much in an already big episode so I had to shave quite a bit of it off. I think it's fair to argue that the Aztec and other uto-aztecan language speakers in the southwest definitely have a connection that goes way back but I'm not convinced that there's enough evidence to say that the builders of chaco canyon and the aztecs were the same people. But who knows, new evidence could change that any day.

[@Gingerbreadley]

@@AncientAmericas yeah I bet there was a ton to cut. I definitely don’t think it’s likely as there is a ton of places they could have ended up heading south but I just like to keep the dream alive lol.

[@NCRonrad]

@@Gingerbreadley7 cities and lots of relatives of the Mexica throughout the southwest and up to Canada (Shoshone-Paiute, and others)

[@ethonlee5909]

I so happy you’re back

[@Teraclipse]

This was a great video. Really great information, I watched it twice! I like your sense of humor and sarcasm ❤

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@Numba003]

Thank you for another very interesting episode! I don't know if I had ever even heard of Chaco Canyon before this video. There's so much to learn out there lol. God be with you out there everybody. ✝️ :)

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@onemorecowswag]

Just out of curiosity, what state/part of the country do you live in? I live in new mexico and chaco is widely known and feared/respected.

[@Numba003]

@@onemorecowswag I am from Arkansas.

[@pozzowon]

21:58 so luxury items, not enough agriculture to feed a large population, everything's imported.... Was this some luxury villa for the local chieftain?

[@atlasaltera]

Maybe it figured out the economic niche that contemporary Scottsdale configured itself towards: hosting stags and stagettes?

[@AncientAmericas]

Could be.

[@ComsiCaterpillar]

Slaver city, the master palace.

[@sizanogreen9900]

Great video once again covering something profoundly interesting. One thing tho, I'd really appreciate you adding something to gauge the size of the area shown on your maps. Like some bar 1mile or km saying "1mile/km" it would make it easier to visualize the scale of something like the spread of the "outliers".

[@AncientAmericas]

That is great feedback! I'll keep that in mind for the future. Thank you!

[@tonyducks1121]

This video was fantastic. I've watched it several times now. You did an amazing job of cramming a wealth of data into a 45 min video.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@jtdub-wanders]

I visited Chaco Canyon in June. I have tons of pictures and video that I’m still going through.

[@timwilliams990]

We visited last June. Beautiful place, rough road to get there though!

[@Asterius2384]

Just by imagining how LIDAR can disocover, in amazon the first expedition already discover a "city".

[@arkinyte13]

Excellent work as always.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@elliotbridge]

This video has been recommended to me many times these past few weeks. Every single time I read it "Chicago". Without fail.

[@AncientAmericas]

Appreciate you checking it out!

[@kennithlambert2563]

I definitely enjoyed your video. I visited Mesa Verde some 20 years ago and I will never forget it. You videos of which I have watched a few puts light on the subject and explains a lot of questions I have about the Anasazi. Thank you very much. PS I intend to continue watching your videos.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@theodoresmith5272]

Been to all 3. All 3 are great. All 3 have other stuff to do. Nowhere is peru. Mexico city has all kinds of thing to do and others just outside of it. Cusco is so cool and the other tours are very very good. You can do both the ones in mexico on the same trip. Peru you can pick any number pf ancient sites to see and the 2nd highest mountains in the world are impressive. 😅

[@superhappyfuntimeshow]

Also, it’s a dark sky park and the views at night are incredible- not to mention that the campground has ruins present so you’re sleeping right next to structures! Also also, the roads in are a nightmare😂. Never approach from the south and be prepared for a bumpy ride from the north. Also also also, some pretty compelling evidence for cannibalism at Chaco…

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks for the advice! Yes, there's very good evidence for cannibalism at Chaco but I left it out of the episode because its really part of a larger pattern across the southwest. When we cover the the wider culture area, we'll discuss it there.

[@rogersmith7396]

There is a high speed 2 lane highway coming in from the north. I found it upon leaving after going many miles over slow washboard isolated roads on approach.

[@superhappyfuntimeshow]

@@rogersmith7396 yes, that’s why I’m saying approach from the north. But that 2 lane highway is not the road to Chaco, the washboard road is. That route is much better than the route from the south, that route is only safe for a high clearance 4WD jeep or side by side

[@rogersmith7396]

@@superhappyfuntimeshow I went in in my Saab 900 on a slow long rough road. When I left I discovered a high speed two lane just outside the park. Always take the high speed road.

[@superhappyfuntimeshow]

Yes. You take the washboard road from the town of Nageezi, where you can catch highway 550. Your wording suggests there is a high speed two lane highway to the park and that is not true, there are only rough roads to the park. The highways connect the towns surrounding the park.

[@irena4545]

What I find most intriguing is the lack of cemetery, middens etc. As if the place had to be kept clean, which might indicate some sort of religious significance, requiring to transport all kinds of human waste elsewhere. For people willing to haul building material from long distances, not an impossible feat.

[@GreatistheWorld]

It hits different seeing a great archeology video of a place I’ve been and close to where I now live. So good

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@rehoboth_farm]

I'm surprised that you didn't mention Mesa Verde in relation to these sites. I used to live about 30 miles from there. We used to find all sorts of neat things in our fields.

[@AncientAmericas]

Mesa Verde is going to get it's own episode someday. Don't worry!

[@rehoboth_farm]

@@AncientAmericas It looks like it would also be right in line with the other sites. I found that kind of curious. The Navajo tell all sorts of wild stories about the Anasazi. None of them are particularly flattering.

[@lisachelton4599]

Please see what Wally at Navajo Traditional Teachings has to say about the Anasazi and other ancient people. The history that he was taught by his elders contradicts the commonly accepted/assumed histories.

[@AncientAmericas]

I'll check it out!

[@ComsiCaterpillar]

@@different-o.s. Invaders huh? the Navajo had been out West for 800 years before Chaco. They haven't been there as long as the Hopi, but hardly new to the area. They'd say chaco was a slaver city. Surprised not a single mention of that here

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@ComsiCaterpillarSo you’re saying Navajo pre date the Anasazi? I thought the Anasazi was before the Navajo and Hopi?

[@Crembaw]

I’m not inclined to take the words of someone who refers to other people as a slur as true on blind faith.

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@Crembaw Did I miss something?

[@kilogramofwhat830]

Thoroughly enjoyable and informative content. Thank you!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@gabrielgriffin9230]

great presentation and information in this vid ..love the research archive photos and maps that help paint the picture .. just amazing how they put the structures up in that location.. just crazy cool stuff imo ..

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@guaporeturns9472]

The Anasazi are a fascinating study… the southwest has a magical energy I’ve not found anywhere else I’ve travelled.

[@glitterboy2098]

i wonder if those "roads to nowhere" might have originally led to various fields where useful foodstuffs or medicines grew. we know that most native american cultures made use of practices where clusters of otherwise wild plants would be encouraged to spread, to make gathering from them easier. presumably they would want roads to those places to make it easier to reach them.

[@AncientAmericas]

I don't think that'd be the case but I could be wrong. Those expanses of desert are pretty barren and scorched.

[@glitterboy2098]

@@AncientAmericas my understanding is that when they were living there, the local climate was relatively cooler and wetter than more modern times (much less the current global warming impacted conditions) having been to the site a few times and lived in the area for a number of years in past, quite a bit does grow out there. and it is likely that the roads would only lead to a waypoint, and you'd leave the road to do the actual gathering. especially if the sites had connections to materials religious rites, where you might have issues of taboo and tresspass cropping up, and having the road stop somewhere safely distant from any sacred spots would be beneficial.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@glitterboy2098 Yes, there was more rainfall in the during the peak building years of Chaco Canyon but I'm unaware of any significant difference in temperatures. From what I gathered from the research, the rainfall would not have been enough to change climate. At least the pollen studies I read don't show any major differences in the fauna that was there in the past.

[@billdebillbill]

I was just there! Amazing!

[@79NAGR]

I built a Sierra Club shed at Chaco in 2000. Absolutely beautiful i need to go back . Being from Seattle i was on awe

[@CDLP358]

Hello, ancient Americas, I apologize since my comment is not so much about the video, but lately I have been researching about corn, and there is a theory that corn actually developed in the Andes and not in Mesoamerica, and I would like to know your opinion on that subject. I would really like you to answer me. PS: if my comment has typos, I apologize since I'm using Google translator.

[@AncientAmericas]

I haven't read anything suggesting that maize was domesticated in south America and I'm not sure it could have been because teosinte doesn't grow there. However, I have seen recent studies showing that once maize was developed it went to south America and got further developed there and then brought back into Mesoamerica. If that's true then South America had a very important role in the domestication and development of maize.

[@CDLP358]

@@AncientAmericas Thank you very much for answering me, and sorry for the questions, but I have been researching a lot and I have noticed that the Andeans contributed many things to Mesoamerica and the world (potatoes, metallurgy, ceramics in the West, chili peppers, and if this theory is true, corn as well) while Mesoamerica contributed almost nothing to the Andes, if I'm not mistaken only the avocado and the xoloescuincle dog, and I don't understand why it's as if Mesoamerica doesn't matter at all :(

[@user-lt8vj1tn6t]

I always like hearing and learning about Chaco canyon.. a place full of mystery.

[@junior1497]

@@CDLP358yes yes the americas revolve around peru

[@quinmastrangelo5699]

Great video! One question, have there ever been any weapon caches discovered at Pueblo Bonito or related sites? The fire signal towers seem like they could be defensive in nature and the Pueblo and Navajo oral traditions that you mentioned seem to hint at some form of centralized political or ceremonial control that may have been backed by force.

[@AncientAmericas]

Yes, there are weapon and tool caches that have been found and some have argued that Chaco was ruled by force.

[@dennis7782]

great episode, love that i found your channel, thanks!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@AzraelThanatos]

You know, thinking things through, one potential option for Chaco Canyon is that it was a storage facility and/or trade outpost. Not as a real city, but a central area and, possibly taking the Chaco Meridian, but with more of something akin to a hotel/meeting area for travel and trade, just the position also being a good storage facility Small actual population, but a lot of people moving through it for trade purposes and a place to stash food and goods when possible

[@AncientAmericas]

That's possible.

[@AzraelThanatos]

@@AncientAmericas The shape actually seems to also fit a large inn/trade outpost. Especially considering the numerous rooms that have no natural light which would work well for storage of things without getting in the way of daily life while the larger plazas would be places for visitors... The related burials also kind of show it as a family situation, perhaps the ones running the place, and, with a trade outpost along a relatively simple North/South trading route, would be an explanation for their wealth.

[@thomasmarley3646]

I feel like the possibility of there being many impermanent structures all over the area is being over looked. Like not everyone lived in a house what about tents.