The Social Construction of Backdirt in Chaco Archaeology

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of Chaco Culture National Historic Park (boundaries outlined in black) showing great house locations. Great houses mentioned in text are labelled.

Figure 2. Mule-drawn carts used to carry backdirt from the great house excavations to Chaco Wash. Photo by Neil M. Judd, 1922. National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, NGS 0477.

Figure 3. Carts being positioned to receive backdirt in the West Court of Pueblo Bonito. Photograph by O. C. Havens, 1924. National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, NGS 0473.

Figure 4. Backdirt from Pueblo Bonito being dumped into Chaco Wash. Photograph by O. C. Havens, 1924. National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, NGS 0471.

Table 1. Comparisons of faunal assemblages from the excavations of Una Vida. NR = Not Recorded.

			Vivian 1960 Excavation (reported by Hargrave [1961] + McKusick)		Akins + Gillespie 1979 Excavation (reported by Akins 1982)		Bishop 2019 (reanalysis of all avifauna from Chaco, including Una Vida)
	Order	Common Name	NISP	MNI	NISP	MNI	NISP	MNI
BIRDS	Accipitriformes	Eagles and hawks	11	10	2	2	13	4
	Strigiformes	Owls	2	2	0	0	2	2
	Gruiformes	Cranes	1	1	0	0	1	1
	Psittaciformes	Parrot	1	1	0	0	1	1
	Columbiformes	Doves and pigeons	1	1	0	0	1	1
	Galliformes	Turkey and quail (only 1 quail)	57	NR	17	2	1334	25*
	Passeriformes	Perching birds (horned lark, black birds, sparrows)	1	1	13	3	11	2
	Aves, indeterminate		NR	NR	54	NR	40	NR
	Total Birds		74	16	86	7	1404	36
MAMMALS	Lagomorpha	Cottontail and jackrabbit	—	—	1172	32	—	—
	Artiodactyla	Deer	—	—	161	NR	—	—
	Odocoileus	Mountain sheep, mule deer	—	—	56	3	—	—
	Carnivora	Coyote, bobcat, Canis sp.	—	—	28	5	—	—
	Rodentia	Squirrel, pocket gopher	—	—	939	83	—	—
	Mammal, indeterminate		—	—	887	NR	—	—
	Total Mammals		NR	NR	3243	123	NR	NR
SNAKES AND AMPHIBIANS	Serpentes	Snakes	—	—	3	1	—	—
	Anura	Spadefoot toad	—	—	19	6	—	—
	Total Snakes and Amphibians		NR	NR	22	7	NR	NR
	Unknown	Unknown	—	—	23	NR	—	—
	Total Unknowns		NR	NR	23	NR	NR	NR
Total Faunal Assemblage			74	16	3374	137	1404	36

*For turkey, based on right humerii and left humerii.

Hargrave, L. L. 1961. “Wild Birds Identified from Bones from Una Vida Pueblo in Chaco Canyon National Monument.” Ms. on file, National Park Service, Western Archaeological and Conservation Center, Tucson.

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Akins, N. J. 1982. “Analysis of the Faunal Remains from Recent Excavations at Una Vida.” Ms. on file, NPS Chaco Culture NHP Museum Archive, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

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Bishop, K. J. 2019. Ritual Practice, Ceremonial Organization, and the Value and Use of Birds in Prehispanic Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, 800-1150 CE. Los Angeles: University of California.

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