Posts Tagged ‘Anasazi’

When History & Identity Collide

I recently wrote two stories for Archaeology magazine about the clash of history, science, and culture in the American Southwest. The main piece in the Nov/Dec issue juxtaposes Navajo claims to famous prehistoric sites, such as Chaco Canyon, with new archaeological data. This latest material evidence reinforces the strong scientific consensus that the Navajo didn’t…Continue Reading…

The Culture of Collapse

This story in Nature News about societal collapse in ancient Peru is worth noting, especially for this quote by one of the main researchers: Dramatic climactic events are always used to explain culture change in the Andes. But this is not satisfying based on what we know about human culture. It paints a picture of…Continue Reading…

The Allure of Mythical Peoples

Can a novel about Navajo culture speak to 21st century sustainability issues? Perhaps. But almost every Southwestern archaeologist would raise an eyebrow after reading this set-up: In Girl With Skirt of Stars, Jennifer Kitchell draws a sharp contrast between modern society and a culture that has occupied the southwest of North America for thousands of…Continue Reading…