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The Chaco Meridian: One Thousand Years of Political and Religious Power in the Ancient Southwest
In this return to his lively, provocative reconceptualization of the meaning of Chaco Canyon and its monumental 11th-century structures, Stephen H. Lekson expands—over time and distance—our understanding of the political and economic integration of the American Southwest.
Lekson’s argument that Chaco did not stand alone, but rather was the first of three capitals in a vast networked region incorporating most of the Pueblo world has gained credence over the past 15 years. Here, he marshals new evidence and new interpretations to further the case for ritual astronomical alignment of monumental structures and cities, great ceremonial roads, and the shift of the regional capital first from Chaco Canyon to the Aztec Ruins site and then to Paquimé, all located on the same longitudinal meridian. Along the line from Aztec to Paquimé, Lekson synthesizes 1000 years of Southwestern prehistory—explaining phenomena as diverse as the Great North Road, macaw feathers, Pueblo mythology, the recycling of iconic symbols over time, founder burials, and the rise of kachina ceremonies—to yield a fascinating argument that will interest anyone concerned with the prehistory and history of the American Southwest.
Lekson’s argument that Chaco did not stand alone, but rather was the first of three capitals in a vast networked region incorporating most of the Pueblo world has gained credence over the past 15 years. Here, he marshals new evidence and new interpretations to further the case for ritual astronomical alignment of monumental structures and cities, great ceremonial roads, and the shift of the regional capital first from Chaco Canyon to the Aztec Ruins site and then to Paquimé, all located on the same longitudinal meridian. Along the line from Aztec to Paquimé, Lekson synthesizes 1000 years of Southwestern prehistory—explaining phenomena as diverse as the Great North Road, macaw feathers, Pueblo mythology, the recycling of iconic symbols over time, founder burials, and the rise of kachina ceremonies—to yield a fascinating argument that will interest anyone concerned with the prehistory and history of the American Southwest.
284 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 29, 2019
Maybe I'm biased against Lekson's ideas because his writing style annoys me. I hope this isn't the case but I read a lot and don't have time for fluff, filler or cutesiness, and Lekson's books are replete with such nonsense. To be fair, this second edition didn't seem as bad as the first in this regard and when he really gets going, Lekson's prose can be straight-forward, coherent and concise. Never for long, though, before the snark and "wit" spoils the narrative. I hate this shit.
Basically, despite 15 years of criticism, Lekson doubles down with his theories and makes them even more untenable, by including older sites to his imaginary line in the dirt, than in the first edition. He's backed off a bit, by admitting that his line is rather fuzzy, more of a smear than a sharp line of longitude, but he's pretty much stuck to his guns about the meridian being intentional and meaningful. He does a good job of demonstrating how ancestral Puebloan peoples could pull this alignment off, then waffles about why they didn't do a very good job of it. Salmon and Aztec ruins simply aren't on the "Chaco Meridian" and neither is Casas Grandes. The Great North Road doesn't go to Salmon on the San Juan or Aztec on the Animas. It runs from Pueblo Alto in Chaco Canyon to Kutz arroyo and disappears. Salmon and Aztec are well to the northwest of this line. Lekson finally admits this but goes to lengths of special pleading as to why these sites are still on the meridian, even though they aren't. The author is quick to emphasize facts that seem to support his theory, and to dismiss facts that contradict or refute his "just-so" story. Hence, Mesa Verde isn't important and neither are the differences in architecture and ceramics between Chaco, Aztec and Casas Grandes. Yet, their being more-or-less lined up on a north-south axis is of prime importance. Somehow, this imperfect alignment gave the Puebloan bourgeoisie their status and power. This is the gist of the book.
There may be a certain degree of truth to some of Lekson's ideas. We will never know because his speculative assertions aren't testable. Isn't archeology supposed to be a science? Anyone can come up with narratives that seem plausible but if they can't be tested, what good are they? Instead of being "palaces" (Lekson insists on applying culturally inappropriate concepts and terminology to ancient Puebloan society) let me assert that Chacoan "great houses" were combination fortresses/grain elevators/ritual centers. After all, I can come up with just-so stories as well as Lekson can. Na-Dene speakers were beginning to filter down out of the north by the end of pit-house culture and stone masonry pueblos and cliff dwellings were defensive structures erected in response to the threat posed by these subarctic big game hunters showing up to raid corn fields, steal women and bust heads. Where's my evidence for this scenario? Where's Lekson's for his?
I suppose that what bothers me most about Lekson is his arrogant assumption that he can understand the thinking of ancient Native peoples. He's just another white man 'splaining to modern Puebloans the values and motivations of their ancestors. Eye rolls are the appropriate response to this cultural insensitivity, if not ire.
Basically, despite 15 years of criticism, Lekson doubles down with his theories and makes them even more untenable, by including older sites to his imaginary line in the dirt, than in the first edition. He's backed off a bit, by admitting that his line is rather fuzzy, more of a smear than a sharp line of longitude, but he's pretty much stuck to his guns about the meridian being intentional and meaningful. He does a good job of demonstrating how ancestral Puebloan peoples could pull this alignment off, then waffles about why they didn't do a very good job of it. Salmon and Aztec ruins simply aren't on the "Chaco Meridian" and neither is Casas Grandes. The Great North Road doesn't go to Salmon on the San Juan or Aztec on the Animas. It runs from Pueblo Alto in Chaco Canyon to Kutz arroyo and disappears. Salmon and Aztec are well to the northwest of this line. Lekson finally admits this but goes to lengths of special pleading as to why these sites are still on the meridian, even though they aren't. The author is quick to emphasize facts that seem to support his theory, and to dismiss facts that contradict or refute his "just-so" story. Hence, Mesa Verde isn't important and neither are the differences in architecture and ceramics between Chaco, Aztec and Casas Grandes. Yet, their being more-or-less lined up on a north-south axis is of prime importance. Somehow, this imperfect alignment gave the Puebloan bourgeoisie their status and power. This is the gist of the book.
There may be a certain degree of truth to some of Lekson's ideas. We will never know because his speculative assertions aren't testable. Isn't archeology supposed to be a science? Anyone can come up with narratives that seem plausible but if they can't be tested, what good are they? Instead of being "palaces" (Lekson insists on applying culturally inappropriate concepts and terminology to ancient Puebloan society) let me assert that Chacoan "great houses" were combination fortresses/grain elevators/ritual centers. After all, I can come up with just-so stories as well as Lekson can. Na-Dene speakers were beginning to filter down out of the north by the end of pit-house culture and stone masonry pueblos and cliff dwellings were defensive structures erected in response to the threat posed by these subarctic big game hunters showing up to raid corn fields, steal women and bust heads. Where's my evidence for this scenario? Where's Lekson's for his?
I suppose that what bothers me most about Lekson is his arrogant assumption that he can understand the thinking of ancient Native peoples. He's just another white man 'splaining to modern Puebloans the values and motivations of their ancestors. Eye rolls are the appropriate response to this cultural insensitivity, if not ire.
August 25, 2015
Despite the author's warning that this book isn't for newcomers to the field of Southwest archaeology (and a reference to his History of the American Southwest, which I hope to read soon), I found this one of the most accessible - and gripping, and delightful - hardcore academic monographs I've ever read. Which is not in fact damning with faint praise: Lekson is a terrific writer.
Not coincidentally, he's also a longtime academic black sheep, in part for his colorful, pun-filled, pop-cultural-referencing style, and largely for his rejection of a Southwestern archaeology status quo strongly influenced by both a back-reading of Pueblo culture onto earlier eras and a political-temperamental desire to see pre-Columbian North Americans as similar to their Boomer researchers - mellow egalitarian hippies.
Lekson's lifelong thesis is that the great centers of Southwestern power relocated along a precise and culturally significant north-south axis over the course of about a millennium. He's made headway: several of the moves are no longer significantly contested, while the final leg was deep into what's now Mexican drug-cartel territory, and not a great place for archaeological evidence-gathering.
I'm a casual reader in academic and popular Southwest archaeology, and I learned more from this book (and had the best can't-put-down afternoon of reading) than from anything else, by far. I can't recommend this highly enough for anyone interested in the field.
Not coincidentally, he's also a longtime academic black sheep, in part for his colorful, pun-filled, pop-cultural-referencing style, and largely for his rejection of a Southwestern archaeology status quo strongly influenced by both a back-reading of Pueblo culture onto earlier eras and a political-temperamental desire to see pre-Columbian North Americans as similar to their Boomer researchers - mellow egalitarian hippies.
Lekson's lifelong thesis is that the great centers of Southwestern power relocated along a precise and culturally significant north-south axis over the course of about a millennium. He's made headway: several of the moves are no longer significantly contested, while the final leg was deep into what's now Mexican drug-cartel territory, and not a great place for archaeological evidence-gathering.
I'm a casual reader in academic and popular Southwest archaeology, and I learned more from this book (and had the best can't-put-down afternoon of reading) than from anything else, by far. I can't recommend this highly enough for anyone interested in the field.
Read
June 8, 2018Lekson's carefully crafted argument about the Chaco Meridian is captivating and thought provoking. The connections he makes between Chaco, Aztec, and Paquime are fascinating and compelling. Lekson is also a gifted and engaging writer. His quips and sense of humor help expand the possible perspectives of Chaco (et al). Plus, the forward (in three movements) does a swift job of getting the reader orientated for the journey ahead.
If you've ever wanted to dive into the mystery surrounding Chaco and perhaps even get through some of the fog, this is your book.
If you've ever wanted to dive into the mystery surrounding Chaco and perhaps even get through some of the fog, this is your book.
June 6, 2022
Engaging and humorous academic archaeological rant, nominally about whether Chaco Canyon is the center of a long and large class society in the southwest and connected to Mesoamerican culture as much as an odd Pueblo precursor, but fundamentally about widening archaeological discussion from local site parochial scientism to engage narrative prehistory, persuasive argument, and speculation.
August 6, 2019
Ghost towns, Indian ruins and other abandoned dwellings have a sense of mystery about them: Who were the people who lived here? What were their lives like? Why did they leave and where did they go?
Stephen Lekson attempts to answer questions about the people who inhabited New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon, from about 850 to 1125 CE . It is by far the most impressive of the ancient pueblo ruins in the southwest with its great houses and kivas. It was inhabited by 3,000 or so people, but served as a ceremonial and trade center for a much larger territory, approaching as many as 100,000 people, according to Lekson. Many of its structures were designed in relation to astronomy, which makes it a particularly intriguing site.
Lekson’s basic thesis is that some of the people at Chaco first moved north to Aztec (not related to the Aztecs of Mexico), where they lived from about 1110-1275, and then south to Paquime, Mexico, the premier city in the southwest from about 1300 to 1450. These three sites are aligned along a north-south meridian, along which there also were roads and signaling stations. Some of the people most likely became the ancestors of present day pueblo people, including the Hopi and Zuni. However, they were not the ancestors of the Navajo, who called these ancient ones “Anasazi,” which means something like “ancestor enemies.”
Because this was all before European contact and before these people had a written language, what we know about them comes from archaeological excavations—architecture and pottery styles, tree rings, food, burials and other artifacts such as macaw feathers and shell and copper items. Lekson’s goal is to use those as starting points, then fill in the blanks.
He believes that these communities were established by noblemen/royalty, who then led the migrations and assembled new communities around them. And he thinks the egalitarian governments of today’s pueblos were set up in part as a reaction to the hierarchy of their ancestors. Various factors have been suggested as responsible for the abandonment of Chaco and other sites, most notably drought and attacks by outsiders. Lekson thinks breakdown of the social order was primarily to blame.
I read this book because I am planning a trip to Chaco, which is a UNESCO Heritage Site and a national park and it was on our recommended reading list. (I had to get it through interlibrary loan.) I enjoyed the fact that Lekson is a big picture guy, willing to go off the beaten path to come up with theories that make sense to him even if he doesn’t have the evidence to prove them. They seemed persuasive to me, although I don’t have the background to evaluate them and a lot of details he cites were more than I really wanted to read.
The book is written in irreverent, non-academic language with lots of humor, including puns. It seems more like a lecture than a book and I imagine the style is a bit much for the teachers and students of archaeology and anthropology for whom this subject is most relevant. Although the title mentions 1,000 years, it’s nearly all about a 500-year period, which I think is quite enough to cover in one book.
Stephen Lekson attempts to answer questions about the people who inhabited New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon, from about 850 to 1125 CE . It is by far the most impressive of the ancient pueblo ruins in the southwest with its great houses and kivas. It was inhabited by 3,000 or so people, but served as a ceremonial and trade center for a much larger territory, approaching as many as 100,000 people, according to Lekson. Many of its structures were designed in relation to astronomy, which makes it a particularly intriguing site.
Lekson’s basic thesis is that some of the people at Chaco first moved north to Aztec (not related to the Aztecs of Mexico), where they lived from about 1110-1275, and then south to Paquime, Mexico, the premier city in the southwest from about 1300 to 1450. These three sites are aligned along a north-south meridian, along which there also were roads and signaling stations. Some of the people most likely became the ancestors of present day pueblo people, including the Hopi and Zuni. However, they were not the ancestors of the Navajo, who called these ancient ones “Anasazi,” which means something like “ancestor enemies.”
Because this was all before European contact and before these people had a written language, what we know about them comes from archaeological excavations—architecture and pottery styles, tree rings, food, burials and other artifacts such as macaw feathers and shell and copper items. Lekson’s goal is to use those as starting points, then fill in the blanks.
He believes that these communities were established by noblemen/royalty, who then led the migrations and assembled new communities around them. And he thinks the egalitarian governments of today’s pueblos were set up in part as a reaction to the hierarchy of their ancestors. Various factors have been suggested as responsible for the abandonment of Chaco and other sites, most notably drought and attacks by outsiders. Lekson thinks breakdown of the social order was primarily to blame.
I read this book because I am planning a trip to Chaco, which is a UNESCO Heritage Site and a national park and it was on our recommended reading list. (I had to get it through interlibrary loan.) I enjoyed the fact that Lekson is a big picture guy, willing to go off the beaten path to come up with theories that make sense to him even if he doesn’t have the evidence to prove them. They seemed persuasive to me, although I don’t have the background to evaluate them and a lot of details he cites were more than I really wanted to read.
The book is written in irreverent, non-academic language with lots of humor, including puns. It seems more like a lecture than a book and I imagine the style is a bit much for the teachers and students of archaeology and anthropology for whom this subject is most relevant. Although the title mentions 1,000 years, it’s nearly all about a 500-year period, which I think is quite enough to cover in one book.
March 2, 2024
I'm curious about the peoples who lived in my part of the world before Europeans arrived here. I say "curious" rather than "interested" or "deeply interested" or "a student of". I've read a few books and visited a few sites (Mesa Verde, Bandelier, Chitzen Itza). But I'm very much a neophyte in the subject.
This book seems to be highly regarded in the field, but I think it is intended for an audience with more background than I have. Before reading this book, I knew that Chaco existed but didn't know at all how it fit in with other pre-Columbian civilizations. I hadn't heard of the other important sites the author discusses. It was only about halfway through the text before the author dropped enough clues for me to start to put things together.
One thing that struck me was how far the field has advanced over the last generation or so. Much of the little I thought I knew about pre-Columbian tribes/states/civilizations has been superseded. I'm a big fan of the "march of science"!
For those with somewhat better understanding of the topic, this looks to be an excellent book. It's fully researched and the reasoning seems sound to me. Many diagrams and photos are included, and there is a wealth of references.
This book seems to be highly regarded in the field, but I think it is intended for an audience with more background than I have. Before reading this book, I knew that Chaco existed but didn't know at all how it fit in with other pre-Columbian civilizations. I hadn't heard of the other important sites the author discusses. It was only about halfway through the text before the author dropped enough clues for me to start to put things together.
One thing that struck me was how far the field has advanced over the last generation or so. Much of the little I thought I knew about pre-Columbian tribes/states/civilizations has been superseded. I'm a big fan of the "march of science"!
For those with somewhat better understanding of the topic, this looks to be an excellent book. It's fully researched and the reasoning seems sound to me. Many diagrams and photos are included, and there is a wealth of references.
August 18, 2019
An absolutely fascinating perspective of the roles and influences of the Chaco culture upon the larger prehistoric Anasazi of the American southwest. I think Dr. Lekson may be onto something with his meridian theory. I also think he is correct in recognizing the importance of understanding and utilizing "history" in undertaking the science of archaeology and anthropology. After all, when dealing with archaeology and anthropology it is really more than just bones, lithics, pottery, and ruins; it is dealing with humans in time.
September 18, 2020
The author gives a thoroughly readable and engaging account of his understanding of the circumstances surrounding the civilization that produced Chaco. While I am new to this field, I found this book immensely readable and his arguments compelling. It is NOT a dry academic account, but it is filled to the brim with fascinating information and anecdotes.
September 25, 2017
This is a fascinating book by an iconoclastic archaeologist that shows the link between Chaco, Aztec, and Paquimé.
January 1, 2018
Interesting hypothesis
Armrest for a believable SW History of a Chaco culture of noble families. Sometimes the need to defend the hypothesis overwhelms the narrative.
Armrest for a believable SW History of a Chaco culture of noble families. Sometimes the need to defend the hypothesis overwhelms the narrative.
May 4, 2021
Through science, history, dry humor and sarcasm Stephen Lekson provides a detailed argument on the "mythological" Chaco Meridian
Read
May 16, 2024DNF
September 1, 2024
I’m convinced. He makes a very thorough case.
August 10, 2016
If you've never been to Chaco Canyon, you need to go. One of the most fascinating archaeological sites in America. This book is an interesting and irreverent argument that Chaco Canyon was a city built with palaces for nobles and built by commoners who lived across the wash. Lekson also argues that there is a north-south meridian that connected Chaco, Aztec Ruins and Paquime south at Casas Grandes. All were centers of elite power that kept moving over the centuries. An interesting and convincing thesis.
June 14, 2016
If you want to read more about Chaco and the “lost” empire of the Anasazi in the US Southwest, there’s no finer place to start than Stephen Lekson’s book The Chaco Meridian. Lekson is the complete opposite of the dry academic — his books and papers are replete with Monty Python jokes, horrible puns and the like, and he’s quite controversial in his field, and politely merciless to his detractors. You’ll enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews