Geography, Society, and Cosmology in the Puebloan Northwest: Monumental Features on Cedar Mesa, Utah

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1 Geography, Society, and Cosmology in the Puebloan Northwest: Monumental Features on Cedar Mesa, Utah

2 This presentation will first describe the built features of the Et Al network We next turn to three other networks in the Northern San Juan region to describe the articulation of built features with natural features and noncontemporaneous cultural features We return to the Et Al network to consider the possible articulations of built features with natural and noncontemporaneous features

3 Chacoan refers to an architectural footprint that often includes great house, great kiva, road(s), and berms Terminology

4 Terminology (cont.) In the Northern San Juan region: Chaco era is A.D to 1150 Post-Chaco era is A.D to about 1250

5 A nod to epistemology For things Chacoan in the Northern San Juan region, we are informed particularly by Cameron and Lekson, and by our own work For monumental landscapes and roads, we give a bow to Bradley (1998, 2000), Van Dyke (2003, 2007), Kantner (1997, 2006), Nials and colleagues (Kincaid 1983; Nials and others 1987), Fowler and Stein (1992), Roney (1992), and Vivian (1997a,b)

6 Phenomenology. There, we ve said it. (Please gasp here.) We emphasize experience when investigating monumental landscapes We advocate Snead s (2009) point for a contextual experience or an ethnogeography of the past

13 Examples of other monumental landscapes in the Northern San Juan region Bluff Valley monumental landscape Decker Ruin monumental landscape Cottonwood/Comb Network

14 Bluff Valley Monumental Landscape Associated Cultural Features Associated Natural Features Two protohistoric shrines on rubble mound. Bluff PI Site (on equinox alignment). Site is located on hill overlooking valley at mouth of Cottonwood Canyon. Bluff Great House Dance Plaza Site (on winter solstice alignment). Culturally modified route from cliff top to valley bottom (summer solstice morning alignment). Twin Rocks (equinox alignment). Bluff PI Site Dance Plaza Site Tank Mesa Road Masonry platform, grinding slick shrine, spiral petroglyphs (summer solstice evening alignment). Tank Mesa Road (with Dance Plaza Site). Tank Mesa Road (with Bluff PI Site). Grinding slick shrine. Paired, very deep bedrock "mortars." Alignment formed by Bluff PI and Dance Plaza sites. Road alignment is oriented to Jackson Crossing site complex. Pecked staircase departing/entering Cottonwood Canyon to mesa top. Bedrock groove at isolated spring. Twin alcoves/arches south of great house (indicated by Hopi informants). Site is located at base of Twin Rocks. Site is bisected by arroyo. Site is immediately perched over San Juan River. Two sets of large paired boulders with alignments to 1) Twin Rocks and 2) dance plaza feature. Isolated spring. General orientation to Bears Ears.

15 Bluff great house Twin Rocks PI site Dance Plaza Twin alcoves

21 Tank Mesa Road Table 2. Cottonwood/Comb Network Monumental Landscape Associated Cultural Features Associated Natural Features Alignment formed by Bluff PI and Dance Plaza sites. Road alignment is oriented to Jackson Crossing site complex. Pecked staircase departing/entering Cottonwood Canyon to mesa top. Bedrock groove at isolated spring. Isolated spring. General orientation to Bears Ears. Jackson Crossing site complex 42Sa Sa Sa23733 Jackson's Lower Shrine (42Sa23738): 11-m diameter masonry structure. Jackson's Upper Shrine (42Sa23772): includes possible signal fire feature and large masonry enclosure. Rock art panel with possible road-related imagery (42Sa24313). Possible constructed ramp. Paired herraduras. Road-related rock art panel nearby (42Sa20909). Road alignment. Great house is "de novo." Cultural features are all located at the very crest of Comb Ridge. Immediately situated at the very base of Comb Ridge. From the herraduras (above), the road's bearing strikingly orients to the next crossing of Comb Ridge. Great house is itself located on hill near confluence of washes. Mule Canyon Great House Possible PII great kiva is included in "belt-loop" road configuration that wraps around great house (but see Hurst ). Two sandstone spires overlook site from crest of Comb Ridge. Includes two apparent sets of paired towers. Towers flank and overlook a small drainage with a seep.

32 The Et Al monumental landscape vs. other Northern San Juan monumental landscapes The Et Al great house differs in that the structure is not on the highest perch Otherwise, topographic highs and lows do seem to have been used Cardinal direction (particularly along the north/south axis) is referenced The Et Al great house might have been a center place relative to a set of shrines Historic inscription (sensu Snead 2009) of the landscape is subtle but apparent

33 Other considerations Monumental landscapes, and probably the actions associated with their creation, use, and memorialization are very public in apparent contrast to the activities in great kivas and great houses Chronology, chronology, chronology (yes, we can!) Who were the people that used the Et Al monumental landscape?

34 Thank you American Indian community of the northern Southwest Drs. Bill Lipe and R.G. Matson BLM archaeologists Don Simonis and Laird Naylor Dr. Catherine Cameron Mr. Bill Davis and Abajo Archaeology

35 The mystery does not get clearer by repeating the question, nor is it bought with going to amazing places. Until you ve kept your eyes and your wanting still for fifty years, you don t begin to cross over from confusion. (Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks)

Two Chaco-Style Great Houses on Cedar Mesa -- with Kayenta Pottery R.G. Matson and William Lipe UBC & WSU SAA The Cedar Mesa Project Turns 40

Two Chaco-Style Great Houses on Cedar Mesa -- with Kayenta Pottery R.G. Matson and William Lipe UBC & WSU SAA The Cedar Mesa Project Turns 40 Draft 5a, March 23, 2011 The Et Al and Owen Great House sites