Southwestern archaeologists have long pondered the meaning and importance of the monumental 11th-century structures in Chaco Canyon. Now, Stephen H. Lekson offers a lively, provocative thesis, which attempts to reconceptualize the meaning of Chaco and its importance to the understanding of the entire Southwest. Chaco was not alone, according to Lekson, but only one of three capitals of a vast politically and economically integrated region, a network that incorporated most of the Pueblo world and that had contact as far away as Central America. A sophisticated astronomical tradition allowed for astrally aligned monumental structures, great ceremonial roads and—upon the abandonment of Chaco Canyon in the 12th century—the shift of the regional capital first to the Aztec site, then Paquime, all located on precisely the same longitudinal meridian. Lekson's ground-breaking synthesis of 500 years of Southwestern prehistory—with its explanation of phenomena as diverse as the Great North Road, macaw feathers, Pueblo mythology, and the rise of kachina ceremonies—will be of great interest to all those concerned with the prehistory and history of the American Southwest.

The Chaco Meridian: Centers of Political Power in the Ancient Southwest

History

Lekson, Stephen H.

Americas

AltaMira Press

Southwestern archaeologists have long pondered the meaning and importance of the monumental 11th-century structures in Chaco Canyon. Now, Stephen H. Lekson offers a lively, provocative thesis, which attempts to reconceptualize the meaning of Chaco and its importance to the understanding of the entire Southwest. Chaco was not alone, according to Lekson, but only one of three capitals of a vast politically and economically integrated region, a network that incorporated most of the Pueblo world and that had contact as far away as Central America. A sophisticated astronomical tradition allowed for astrally aligned monumental structures, great ceremonial roads and? upon the abandonment of Chaco Canyon in the 12th century? the shift of the regional capital first to the Aztec site, then Paquime, all located on precisely the same longitudinal meridian. Lekson's ground-breaking synthesis of 500 years of Southwestern prehistory? with its explanation of phenomena as diverse as the Great North Road, macaw feathers, Pueblo mythology, and the rise of kachina ceremonies? will be of great interest to all those concerned with the prehistory and history of the American Southwest.

This reappraisal of archaeology conducted at the Saige-McFarland site presents for the first time a substantial body of comparative data from a Mimbres period site in the Gila drainage. Lekson offers a new and controversial interpretation of the Mimbres sequence, reintroducing the concept of the Mangas phase first proposed by the Gila Pueblo investigations of the 1930s and demonstrating a more gradual shift from pithouse to pueblo occupance than has been suggested previously.

Mimbres Archaeology of the Upper Gila, New Mexico (Volume 53) (Anthropological Papers)

University of Arizona Press

Salado is an enigma of the past. One of the most spectacular cultures of the ancient Southwest, its brilliant polychrome pottery has been subjected to varied interpretations, from religious cult to artistic horizon. Stephen Lekson now uses data from two Salado sites—a large pueblo and a small farmstead—to clarify long-standing misconceptions about this culture. By combining analysis of the large whole-vessel collection at Dutch Ruin with the scientific excavation of Villareal II, a picture of Salado emerges that enables Lekson to evaluate previous competing theories and propose that Salado represents a major fourteenth-century migration of Pueblo peoples into the Chihuahuan deserts. Lekson demonstrates that late, short-lived Salado farmsteads—difficult to identify archaeologically in areas with larger Mimbres concentrations—coexisted with larger Salado towns, and he argues that Salado in the Upper Gila region appears as a substantial in-migration of Mogollon Uplands populations into what was a vacant river valley. Throughout the fourteenth century, Salado communities in the Upper Gila were integrated into the larger Salado horizon and were closely connected to Casas Grandes, as indicated by the export of serpentine to the city of Paquimé and the occurrence of Casas Grandes pottery at Upper Gila Salado sites. The book includes illustrations of 71 vessels from Dutch Ruin plus a full-color frontispiece. Through analysis of these two sites, Lekson has taken a large step toward clearing up the mystery of Salado. His work will be welcomed by all who study the movements of peoples in the prehispanic Southwest.

Salado Archaeology of the Upper Gila, New Mexico (Volume 67) (Anthropological Papers)

Ancient Land Ancestral Places: Paul Logsdon in the Pueblo Southwest by Stephen H. Lekson.

Ancient Land Ancestral Places: Paul Logsdon in the Pueblo Southwest

Museum of New Mexico Pr

Dust cover in perfect condition, photographs in rich color, illustrations clear. Binding is tight and pages are clean and unbent.

Ancient Land, Ancestral Places: Paul Logsdon in the Pueblo Southwest

Swentzell, Rina

Book by Peck, Mary, Stein, John R., Ortiz, Simon J., Lekson, Stephen H.

Chaco Canyon: A Center and Its World

ORTIZ, Simon J.

Peck, Mary

Stein, John R.

Arts & Photography

Book by Lekson, Stephen, Stein, John R., Ortiz, Simon J.

Photography & Video

The Chaco Meridian: One Thousand Years of Political and Religious Power in the Ancient Southwest

In this return to his lively, provocative reconceptualization of the meaning of Chaco Canyon and its monumental 11th-century structures, Stephen H. Lekson expands—over time and distance—our understanding of the political and economic integration of the American Southwest.Lekson’s argument that Chaco did not stand alone, but rather was the first of three capitals in a vast networked region incorporating most of the Pueblo world has gained credence over the past 15 years. Here, he marshals new evidence and new interpretations to further the case for ritual astronomical alignment of monumental structures and cities, great ceremonial roads, and the shift of the regional capital first from Chaco Canyon to the Aztec Ruins site and then to Paquimé, all located on the same longitudinal meridian. Along the line from Aztec to Paquimé, Lekson synthesizes 1000 years of Southwestern prehistory—explaining phenomena as diverse as the Great North Road, macaw feathers, Pueblo mythology, the recycling of iconic symbols over time, founder burials, and the rise of kachina ceremonies—to yield a fascinating argument that will interest anyone concerned with the prehistory and history of the American Southwest.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Revisiting his ground-breaking synthesis of Southwestern prehistory, Lekson expands our understanding of the political and economic integration of the American Southwest to encapsulate over 1000 years and 1000 km, from Ad 500 to the arrival of the conquistadors, and from Chaco Canyon to Aztec Ruins to Paquimé and even Culiacán in Sinaloa, Mexico.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Lekson, Stephen H.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Lekson, Stephen H.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Lekson, Stephen H.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Chaco Meridian: Centers of Political Power in the Ancient Southwest

The Chaco Meridian: Centers of Political Power in the Ancient Southwest

Mimbres Archaeology of the Upper Gila, New Mexico (Volume 53) (Anthropological Papers)

Salado Archaeology of the Upper Gila, New Mexico (Volume 67) (Anthropological Papers)

Ancient Land Ancestral Places: Paul Logsdon in the Pueblo Southwest

Ancient Land, Ancestral Places: Paul Logsdon in the Pueblo Southwest

Chaco Canyon: A Center and Its World

Chaco Canyon: A Center and Its World

The Chaco Meridian: One Thousand Years of Political and Religious Power in the Ancient Southwest

The Chaco Meridian: One Thousand Years of Political and Religious Power in the Ancient Southwest