Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

English, N. B., Betancourt, J. L., Dean, J. S., and Quade, J. (2001). Strontium isotopes reveal distant sources of architectural timber in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 98 11891-11896. 

A variety of methods are used for identification and authentication, ranging from microscopes to the most complex and sophisticated scientific instruments available. In the examples provided in this chapter, we consider the microscopic identification of species-specific starch grains from South America to identify early traces of plant domestication. An SEM is used to identify plant remains from the Pacific and the very early spread of sweet potatoes from South America westward. A petrographic microscope is used to characterize the micromorphology and identify the contents of house floors in a prehistoric site in British Columbia. Finally GC/MS instrumentation is used to identify the chocolate contents of distinctive ceramic jars found in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. 

Douglas fir Pseudotsuga sp. (FP-H-11) Chaco Canyon, New Mexico Softwood 1127... 

Figure 5. SEM photo showing structural aspects of fibers from 1127-year-old Douglas fir sample from Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Little difference could he seen between bordered pits (Bp) from this sample and those from recent Douglas fir samples (cf Figures 7 and 8, see page 76). Bar 5.0 pm.

Fig. 5.8 The location of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and some of the countries of Central America, including Mexico and Guatemala, potential sources of the chocolate imported to Chaco Canyon...

A third case of historical isotope detective work concerns the Pueblo ancestor people (commonly called the Anasazi), who lived in what is now northwestern New Mexico between a.d. 900 and 1150. The center of their civilization, Chaco Canyon, was a thriving cultural center boasting dwellings made of hand-hewn sandstone and more than 200,000 logs. The sources of the logs... 

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