Journey to Chaco Country with Four Corners Archaeologist Steve Lekson
DATES: August 23-25, 2022
Cost per person:
Double Occupancy: $1,395 (Includes a $100 non-refundable tax-deductible donation to SAR)
Single Occupancy: $1,520 (Includes a $100 non-refundable tax-deductible donation to SAR)
Field trip limited to 20 participants.
Priority is given to Galisteo members and up.
Join SAR President Michael Brown on an unforgettable tour to Chaco Canyon, the much-studied World Heritage site still invested with great mystery and many unanswered questions, where we will immensely benefit from the insight of Chaco expert and archaeologist Steve Lekson.
More than 400 miles of prehistoric roads linked dozens of great houses in the canyon to 200 throughout the region. To better understand the big picture, we will zoom in with visits to great houses at the center of Chaco Canyon – Pueblo Bonito, Una Vida, Chetro Ketl, to name a few – and zoom out with visits to outlying communities including Aztec and lesser-known ones. We will also begin to discern the grand-scale planning that went into creating monumental architecture that served both far-reaching commerce and a complex social organization some 1,100 to 1,200 years ago.
Our base for two nights will be the Best Western Territorial Inn in Bloomfield, which offers comfortable rooms and, perhaps most important during peak summer, air conditioning, hot showers and shelter from monsoon rains.
Presenter:
Steve Lekson at Pueblo Bonito.
Stephen H. Lekson is the former Curator of Archaeology at the Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado, Boulder. He received his PhD from the University of New Mexico in 1988, and held research, curatorial, or administrative positions with University of Tennessee, Eastern New Mexico University, National Park Service, Arizona State Museum, Museum of New Mexico, and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Lekson directed more than 20 archaeological projects throughout the Southwest; about half of his fifty-year career focused on Chaco. Lekson’s publications include a dozen books, chapters in many edited volumes, and articles in journals and magazines. His most recent books include A History of the Ancient Southwest (2009), Chaco Meridian (2015), and A Study of Southwestern Archaeology (2018). He has curated a dozen exhibits, most recently “A History of the Ancient Southwest” (2014) at the CU Museum of Natural History. He retired in 2018.
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous. Lots of walking, standing for long periods, and hikes with a few steeper inclines/declines.
Includes: Transportation in air-conditioned coach; water and snacks; lodging for two nights; guides, entry fees, and gratuities. Meals will be provided unless otherwise noted on the itinerary.
COVID-19: In order to ensure your safety and the safety of our staff and study leaders, we ask you to abide by the protocols in place at the time of the trip. SAR guidelines can change based on the CDC and state guidelines. Thank you for your understanding and patience during these unusual times.