Introduction: “Forgotten Maps” and the Archaeology of Chaco Roads

Abstract

Archaeologists have been studying Chaco roads for more than a century. The articles in this special issue represent new empirical studies of these features and new frameworks for their interpretation. The introduction places research on Chaco roads in context and outlines the relevance of the subsequent chapters.

KEYWORDS:

• Chaco roads
• American Southwest
• Landscape archaeology

Acknowledgments

Gratitude is expressed to Kiva editor Debra L. Martin for her patience through the editorial process, and to the authors of the following papers. Each one followed a distinct path to get to publication, but the final product is an entirely collective effort. Thanks also to the late Robert P. Powers, to whom my work on this special issue is dedicated. Bob played a major role in my long-term interest in the roads, paths, and trails of the Ancestral Pueblo world, and he is greatly missed.