Ceramics, Lithics, and Ornaments of Chaco Canyon: Analyses of Artifacts from the Chaco Project, 1971-1978 Volume II. Lithics

To improve management and interpretation of Chaco Canyon National Monument (now Chaco Culture National Historical Park) and to increase knowledge about the environment and its effects on cultural adaptations in the Chaco drainage of northwestern New Mexico (Figure l.l), a multidisciplinary research project was initiated in 1969 by the National Park Service, in cooperation with the University of New Mexico (Maruca 1982). Fieldwork began in 1971 with a sample transect survey, followed by a complete survey of the monument (Hayes et al. 1981), plus tests and excavations at numerous sites between 1973 and 1979 (McKenna and Truell 1986; Windes 1987:10-12). Additional ancillary studies were carried out by associates at other institutions. With the enlargement of the monument and change of status to a park in 1980, a survey of the new lands was undertaken; project staff also participated in other cultural resource management projects in the park (e.g., excavations at Una Vida [295J 391], Kin Nahasbas [295J 392), and 29SJ 626). All these activities provided data that could be used to address numerous research questions.