John Kantner, anthropological archaeologist and Vice President of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico reviews research on Chaco Canyon and advances the theory that it was a place of pilgrimage in the 11th Century A.D.
Photo: John Kantner
He talks about the great houses scattered throughout the region and their uses and mentions the roadways that lead to Chaco. Kanter discusses the factors that lead him and other anthropologists to conclude that the canyon was a costly signal of status for religious leaders.
His lecture titled “Chaco Canyon: Costly Signaling and the Evolution of Pilgrimage Centers” was sponsored by the UNM Department of Anthropology, the Alfonso Ortiz Center for Intercultural Studies, the Anthropology Graduate Student Union, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
To listen to the lecture visit: Chaco Canyon: Costly Signaling and the Evolution of Pilgrimage Centers.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu