Chaco Canyon: Indigenous Astronomy in the American Southwest

Chaco Canyon is one of the best known archaeological sites in the American Southwest. Constructed by the Ancestral Puebloan people, often known as the Anasazi, this site is famous for its distinctive architecture. Less well known to the general public, but a point of fascination for many archaeologists, is how this architecture demonstrates an intricate knowledge of the astronomical cycles visible in the night sky, from the annual summer and winter solstice and spring and fall equinoxes, to the 18.6 year lunar cycle. In fact, many archaeological findings from Chaco Canyon and the surrounding region suggest that astronomical observations were an integral part of Ancestral Puebloan life. For Native American Heritage Month, we explore this intriguing topic, examining the archaeological evidence for Chacoan Astronomy, and how they made some of their observations. Twitter: Works Cited Barnhart, Edwin. Archaeoastronomy in the Ancient Southwest. 2018.