People of Chaco: A Canyon and Its Culture

by Kendrick Frazier

Overview

"[W]ritten in the best tradition of the science writer and the mystery writer. . . . [A] breathtaking piece of work."—Jake Page, Washington Times

In northwestern New Mexico's Chaco Canyon lies a spectacular array of ruins. Like Stonehenge, they are both a monument to our pre-history and a cryptic puzzle. We know that in Chaco Canyon, one thousand years ago, there arose among the Pueblo people a great and culturally sophisticated civilization. But many questions remain: Just what function did Chaco Canyon fulfill? How great was its extent and influence? Why did its culture collapse? First published in 1986 and now updated with the latest archaeological and anthropological evidence, People of Chaco is an essential book for the general reader on the Chaco culture and ruins. With grace and erudition, Kendrick Frazier scours the canyon for clues about its unique cultural system, confirms its importance to archaeology, and saves this vital American narrative from the oblivion of history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393318258
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	04/17/2005
Edition description:	Revised and Updated
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	8.98(w) x 6.38(h) x 0.87(d)

About the Author

Kendrick Frazier, the author of several books and the former editor of Science News, lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Editorial Reviews

"By-the-fireside archaeology at its best."

Sacramento Bee - Paul Craig

"Kendrick Frazier has combined scientific and ethnographic data with Native American oral history to develop a concise account of this national monument."

Los Angeles Times Book Review

By-the-fireside archaeology at its best.--Paul Craig "Sacramento Bee"

Kendrick Frazier has combined scientific and ethnographic data with Native American oral history to develop a concise account of this national monument.
-- "Los Angeles Times Book Review"

From the Publisher

The intermittent Chaco Wash has cut a broad canyon through northwestern New Mexico. Its natural beauty is surpassed only by the many prehistoric ruins it contains, which were built by the Chacoan Anasazi, the ancestors of the modern Pueblo Indians. About 1000 years ago, the Chacoans constructed multistory residences, established an extensive road system, exercised cultural hegemony over a large region in the southwestern United States, and then suddenly left. Frazier skillfully recounts the fascinating story of Chaco Canyon. He describes its discovery and exploration, its role in the development of American archaeology, and the clues it contains about a unique cultural system. This thorough, balanced, and engrossing work is a delight for all students of the prehistoric Southwest. Gordon C. Tucker, Jr., Nickens and Assocs., Montrose, Col.

Library Journal

Updating the 1997 Norton edition with new findings (including the cannibalism controversy) about the Anasazi civilization that peaked ca. 1000 AD, an Albuquerque writer summarizes research conducted by the Chaco Center at the U. of New Mexico. Includes maps, b&w photos, and a glossary of place names. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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