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The Peopling of Bandelier

New Insights from the Archaeology of the Pajarito Plateau

Edited by Robert P. Powers

Few visitors to the stunning Frijoles Canyon at Bandelier National Monument realize that its depths embrace but a small part of the archaeological richness of the vast Pajarito Plateau west of Santa Fe, New Mexico. In this beautifully illustrated book, archaeologists, historians, ecologists, and Pueblo contributors tell a deep and sweeping story of the region. Beginning with its first Paleo-Indian residents, through its Ancestral Pueblo florescence in the 14th and 15th centuries, to its role in the birth of American archaeology and the nuclear age, and concluding with its enduring centrality in the lives of Keresan and Tewa Indian peoples today, the plateau remains a place where the mysterious interplay of human culture and magnificent landscapes is written in its mesas and canyons. A must read for anyone interested in Southwestern archaeology and Native peoples.

2005. 160 pp., 104 black-and-white and 24 color illustrations, 2 maps, chronology, notes, reading list, index, 8.5 x 11

Contributors: Craig D. Allen, Rory Gauthier, Cynthia Herhahn, Timothy A. Kohler, Julian Martinez, Meredith Matthews, Marit K. Munson, Robert P. Powers, Robert Preucel, Angelyn Bass Rivera, Kari M. Schmidt, Monica L. Smith, James E. Snead, Joseph H. Suina, Tineke Van Zandt, Bradley J. Vierra, James Vint, Michael R. Walsh

Awards: 2007 New Mexico Book Award Winner

Download an excerpt.

“Powers is to be congratulated on editing a beautifully illustrated and informative volume. Despite its extensive illustrations, this is not a coffee table book. Rather it is a serious popularization of the archaeology of Bandelier National Monument.

The Peopling of Bandelier will be a welcomed read by anyone interested in Southwestern archaeology and Pueblo peoples.

A strength of the volume is that…chapters move beyond simple description … to tackle questions of interest to the professional and the layman alike.

The Peopling of Bandelier is a well-written, informative, beautifully illustrated book that is a nice addition to any library on Southwestern archaeology.”
—Suzanne L. Eckert, Kiva: The Journal of Southwestern Anthropology and History, Vol. 73, No. 1, Fall 2007


The Peopling of Bandelier is delightfully produced. An eclectic mix of archaeological and ethnographic investigations, natural history, ecology, farming practices, rock art, ceramics, trails, cave pueblos and more recent records is presented in text, excellent photographs and reproductions including cartoons.”
—Madeleine Hummler, Antiquity 79 (2005)


“[This] new popular archaeological book edited by Robert P. Powers enlightens readers about the Pueblo prehistory in Bandelier National Monument and its surroundings…. [F]or those of us who enjoy visiting Bandelier and are familiar with the ruins and rock art, this authoritative and beautifully produced book is a must-read.”
—David Grant Noble, New Mexico Archaeology Newsletter (November 2005)


“This is a beautifully illustrated, popular account of the prehistory [of] the Pajarito Plateau, including that portion encompassing the Bandelier National Monument…. I highly recommend the book for colleagues and park visitors alike; it’s a superb example of the best of such presentations.”
—William Longacre, Journal of Anthropological Research, vol. 62 (2006)

 

  1. A Grand and Isolated Place
    Robert P. Powers
  2. A Thousand Years in the Life of a Landscape
    Craig D. Allen
  3. Ancient Foragers of the High Desert Country
    Bradley J. Vierra
  4. Why Would Anyone Want to Farm Here?
    Rory Gauthier and Cynthia Herhahn
  5. Rabbits, Turkeys, and Maize
    Kari M. Schmidt and Meredith H. Matthews
  6. Creating the Pueblo Landscape of Bandelier, Stone by Stone
    Tineke Van Zandt
  7. Bringing the Rocks to Life
    Marit K. Munson
  8. Getting Blood from a Stone
    Michael R. Walsh
  9. From Broken Pots to Shifting Boundaries
    James M. Vint
  10. Ancient Trails of the Pajarito Plateau
    James E. Snead
  11. Carved in the Cliffs: The Cavate Pueblos of Frijoles Canyon
    Angelyn Bass Rivera
  12. The Journey from Shipap
    Robert W. Preucel
  13. Writing History at Bandelier National Monument
    Monica L. Smith
  14. The Frijoles Gazette, Archaeology, and the Public on the Pajarito Plateau
    James E. Snead
  15. Times of Deer and PiÒon, Turkey and Corn, Cotton and Obsidian
    Timothy A. Kohler
  16. Two Pueblo Perspectives on the Pajarito Plateau
    Julian Martinez and Joseph H. Suina

There are no working papers for this book at the present time.