Burial Performance and Interaction with the Dead in Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon

This paper examines the mortuary rituals that formed the elaborate burial deposits in the central portion of Pueblo Bonito, in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. I argue that the performance of these mortuary rituals in Room 33 created a powerful tableaux that was actively remembered within the pueblo. Evaluation of the different elements of the performance suggests that the deposit was a collective burial that may be viewed as a narrative.