Asdzáán Náhodidáhí (Lady Picker-Up) at Fajada Butte: Astronomy, Landscape, and the Basketmaker III Origins of Chacoan Ceremonialism

Abstract

In this paper, we combine evidence from archaeology, landscape, astronomy, and Indigenous oral traditions to propose that Chaco Canyon was established as a regionally influential sun-moon-rain shrine beginning in the Basketmaker III period. We review the Basketmaker III archaeological record of Chaco Canyon with emphasis on Shábik'e'eshchί (29 SJ 1659), Woodpecker (29 SJ 423), and Coyote Point (29 SJ 299), a site near Fajada Butte. We suggest Shábik'e'eshchί and Woodpecker were specifically positioned to provide views of the winter solstice sunrise in alignment with Chaco Canyon's trajectory, which, together with the presence of Fajada Butte and Chaco's position in the center of the San Juan Basin, combined to establish the canyon as a unique sacred locale. We also present narratives from the Diné (Navajo) Waterway (Tóyeejí) and Navajo Windway (Diné Biníłch’ijí) Ceremonies that emphasize the importance of Fajada Butte, solar-lunar astronomy, and rainmaking in Chacoan history to support this scenario.

En este trabajo, combinamos evidencia de arqueología, paisaje, astronomía y tradiciones orales indígenas para proponer que el Cañón del Chaco se estableció como un santuario del sol, la luna, y la lluiva con influencia regional durante el periodo Basketmaker III. Revisamos el registro arqueológico Basketmaker III del Cañón del Chaco con énfasis en Shábik'e'eshchί, Pájaro Carpintero (29 SJ 423) y Punta Coyote (29 SJ 299), un sitio cerca de Fajada Butte. Sugerimos que los grandes pueblos en Shábik'e'eshchί y Pájaro Carpintero se ubicaron específicamente para ofrecer vistas del amanecer del solsticio de invierno en alineación con la trayectoria del Cañón del Chaco, lo que, junto con la presencia de Fajada Butte y la posición del Chaco en el centro del Cuenca de San Juan, combinaron para establecer el cañón como un lugar sagrado único. También presentamos narrativas de las ceremonias Diné (Navajo) de la Vía Fluvial (Tóyeejí) y Vía Viento Navajo (Diné Biníłch’ijí) que enfatizan la importancia de Fajada Butte, la astronomía solar-lunar y la lluvia en la historia del Chaco para apoyar este escenario.

KEYWORDS:

• Chaco Canyon
• Basketmaker III
• Shábik'e'eshchί
• Fajada Butte
• Diné (Navajo) oral tradition
• archaeoastronomy

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Navajo Nation Heritage and Historic Preservation Department, Kieffer Nial at the Wheelwright Museum, Cathy Cameron, Michael Grofe, Steve Lekson, Scott Ortman, Tim Pauketat, Anna Sofaer, and John Stein for their assistance and support in developing this paper. Phillip Tuwaletstiwa offered an especially thorough and helpful review (including sharing Indigenous names for two of the sites described); we also greatly appreciate comments and edits from two anonymous reviewers, Wade Campbell, and Tom Rocek that enriched the paper. Ahéhee'! All errors remain ours.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This site is commonly known as Shabik’eshchee Village, an English version of its Diné name. Throughout this paper, we use the standard Young and Morgan (1987) orthography Shábik'e'eshchί, which means Sun Petroglyph and refers to a large circular petroglyph near the site (Roberts 1929:1). Young and Morgan (1987:691) give Tsé Bik'e'eshchί (Graven Rock) as an alternate name.

2 There is ambiguous evidence that these villages also marked skywatching locations nearby with rock art, though these sites remain undated (Ellis 1975). We suggest that, perhaps more likely, Basketmaker skywatchers observed these cycles from the mesatop locations rather than necessarily at the petroglyph sites emphasized by Ellis (1975).

3 In the early stages of this research, we explored the hypothesis that a rare astronomical event was observed from Fajada – namely, the coincidence of a solar eclipse with a transit of Venus. However, according to archaeoastronomer Dr. Michael Grofe of Sacramento City College (personal communication, June 15, 2020), no such coincidences occurred in Basketmaker or later Chacoan times.

Additional information

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under grant number DGE 1650115.