Publications
Chaco Culture National Historical Park: Paleontological site monitoring protocol
Chaco Culture National Historical Park (CHCU) is home to a rich array of Upper Cretaceous paleontological resources, with over 100 sites documented since 2005. A new monitoring protocol has been developed to effectively manage and track these valuable fossils, which are divided into twelve Paleontological Management Areas (PMAs). Each PMA includes multiple localities, prioritized based on factors such as stratigraphy, accessibility, and management needs. The protocol provides detailed guidance for field methods, site discovery protocols, and monitoring frequencies, with appendices offering editable forms for documentation. This structured approach aims to preserve and study CHCU's significant paleontological heritage while balancing conservation with scientific inquiry.
Water quality at Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the potential effects of hydrocarbon extraction
Groundwater in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, sourced from the Gallup Sandstone aquifer, is among the oldest and most geochemically evolved on record, with a median age of approximately 41,000 years. A comprehensive geochemical analysis revealed evidence suggesting mixing between aquifers and potential contamination by hydrocarbons, likely facilitated by numerous extraction boreholes. Key indicators include fractionated noble gases, trace hydrocarbon-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the park’s main supply well, and major ion trends pointing to cross-aquifer mixing. While these findings hint at possible impacts from oil and gas extraction, further research is needed to distinguish between natural processes and anthropogenic influences.
“Not From Their Culture”: The Influence of Artisanal Promotion Agents in the Production and Commercialization of Indigenous Crafts in Chaco, Argentina
Artisanal promotion agents (APAs) significantly influence the production and commercialization of indigenous crafts in Chaco, Argentina, shaping decisions on colors, materials, and shapes without always making their cultural presumptions explicit. Through ethnographic fieldwork spanning six years, researchers observed that APAs use images and prototypes to communicate design suggestions, diversifying craft production while maximizing market appeal. Their influence is heterogeneous, with notable impact on shape choices but less obvious effects on color decisions. This study highlights the pivotal role of APAs in mediating cultural expressions through commercial systems, revealing how they manage both artistic diversity and economic strategies.
Revisiting and reframing ethnographic praxis. The return of visual collections from Gothenburg to the Argentine Chaco
This study reveals that ethnographic fieldwork, when applied to the return of visual collections from museums to Indigenous communities, can uncover deep social and cultural dynamics. By presenting century-old photographs and films to the Pilagá People in Argentina's Chaco region, the research demonstrates how such returns are embedded in complex historical relationships with anthropology. The findings highlight that prolonged ethnographic engagement is essential for understanding the multifaceted impacts of repatriation efforts. Additionally, it critiques traditional ethnographic practices, suggesting they have left lasting imprints on local perceptions of culture and memory, necessitating a reframing of field methods to incorporate critical perspectives.
The deterioration of the Pueblo Bonito Great House in the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA
Ancestral Puebloan engineers at Pueblo Bonito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in New Mexico, faced significant structural challenges due to annual precipitation of about 220 mm. Historical photographs from 1887 to the 1920s reveal that wood decay fungi caused rot in wetted roof and ceiling timbers, lintels, and wall support beams, leading to roof and wall collapse over decades. Water action on mud mortar also destabilized stone walls, while freezing ponded water caused blowouts. These time-dependent and independent events suggest that Pueblo Bonito's rooms may have had a lifespan of only decades, resulting in multiple build-repair-abandon cycles. The study retrospectively analyzed these photographs to attribute structural damages to identifiable agents present during the site's occupancy.
The dialectics of capital: learning from Gran Chaco
Capitalism's dynamic influence on socio-ecological systems is revealed through the Dialectical Socio-Ecological System (D-SES) framework, which integrates process ecology with historical materialism. This approach uncovers how capitalist dynamics, characterized by autocatalysis, centripetality, directionality, and autonomy, emerge from interactions within economic/material and cultural/institutional spheres. Applied to the Chaco Salteño region—a key agricultural frontier in South America—this framework demonstrates how capital-intensive agriculture attracts resources, fine-tunes production modes, and generates class frictions that could serve as leverage points for systemic transformation. The study highlights the need for critical scrutiny of capitalism to achieve sustainability in an era marked by global environmental changes.
Ecosystem impacts by the Ancestral Puebloans of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, USA
Centuries of resource extraction by the Ancestral Puebloans in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, significantly impacted local pinyon-juniper woodlands. Analysis of pollen and macrobotanical remains indicates that juniper trees, a slow-growing species, were decimated during the Bonito phase (AD 800-1140), contributing to environmental instability and resource scarcity. The study suggests that recurrent harvesting destabilized ecosystems, exacerbating challenges faced by the Ancestral Puebloans before their eventual departure. This research highlights the long-term ecological consequences of human resource use in ancient societies.
Probabilities of designed locations of ceremonial foci: the Chaco Meridian, temple IV at Tikal, and a large-scale sacred Adena river landscape
Research reveals strong evidence that prehistoric cultures, such as those in Chaco Canyon and the Adena region, intentionally designed large-scale geometric patterns across landscapes. The study distinguishes between random alignments and intentional design by testing 26 prominent Adena mounds against river confluence points and mountain peaks, finding a high probability of deliberate surveying. Similar analyses at Tikal's Temple IV and Chaco Canyon's great kivas also suggest designed ceremonial foci. The approach involves modeling random point sets to compare the frequency of precise three-point alignments and right-angles, with results indicating intentional geometric planning in these ancient landscapes.
Talking about trees: the territorial classification of native forests in the Argentinian Chaco
In the Argentinian Gran Chaco, deforestation driven by capital-intensive agriculture remains rampant despite the national forest law (NFL), with its implementation varying significantly across provinces. Research reveals that the proportion of native forests classified as low conservation value is influenced by environmental factors—such as forest cover—and socio-economic conditions, including the extent of agricultural expansion and the strength of pro-deforestation coalitions. Using a combination of the socio-ecological systems framework and historical materialism, along with qualitative comparative analysis, the study systematically explores how these contextual and economic pressures shape institutional responses to deforestation. The findings highlight that provinces with stronger pro-deforestation influences tend to downplay the conservation value of native forests, underscoring the need for targeted policies to mitigate climate change in this biodiversity hotspot.
‘Winners’ and ‘losers’ of the agricultural expansion in the Argentine Dry Chaco
Agricultural expansion in the Argentine Dry Chaco, driven by global food demand, asymmetrically affects social wellbeing and generates conflicts over natural resource access. This study reveals how land-use changes disproportionately impact rural communities, creating 'winners' and 'losers' that exacerbate inequalities. By analyzing these dynamics, the research provides critical insights for territorial planning and conflict resolution strategies, aiming to foster more just and sustainable relationships between people and nature in complex landscapes.
Competing Cultures: A New Age in Chaco Canyon
Chaco Culture National Historical Park faces competing cultural uses, with modern 'offerings' by non-Native visitors and growing political engagement from Native American descendant communities. This study highlights the evolving management of these manifestations, influenced by events like the 1987 Harmonic Convergence and the park's re-examination of museum collection policies. It underscores the need for adaptive strategies to balance preservation with diverse cultural practices.
Ancestors and the sun: astronomy, architecture and culture at Chaco Canyon
Astronomical alignments in Chaco Canyon's Great Houses and Kivas reveal three distinct architectural traditions tied to migration, ancestor veneration, and solstice observations. The study confirms that Bonito Phase structures (AD 1020–1100) predominantly face south-southeast (SSE), likely linking them to ancestral practices, while later Great Houses exhibit cardinal north-south or east-west alignments, possibly serving as solstice calendrical stations for public ceremonies. Ethnographic evidence supports the SSE orientation's connection to migration traditions. One outlier, Bis sa'ani, combines all three traditions. The findings suggest that Chacoan elites used astronomical knowledge to assert ritual power and reinvigorate a declining system, offering insights into ancestral Pueblo social dynamics and power shifts.
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