Under the supervision of Dr. John Verano, Ms. Kerriann Marden will conduct the final phase of her analysis of the skeletal series from the pre-Columbian site of Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon. Located in northwest present-day New Mexico, Chaco Canyon is believed to have been the origin and epicenter of a broad prehispanic culture system. Pueblo Bonito is the largest and most centrally positioned of the massive "Great Houses" in the canyon, yet the function of this structure remains debated. Excavations of Pueblo Bonito in the late 19th and early 20th century revealed burial chambers containing dozens of human remains, many of which were disordered and commingled, giving rise to much speculation about who these people were and why their bodies had been treated in this manner. Ms. Marden's research employs an array of current methods of skeletal analysis to advance understanding of the cultural practices and social organization of this important Chaco Great House.
For this final phase of research, Ms. Marden will return to the American Museum of Natural History to complete analysis of the remains that she reassociated on previous visits. Bioarchaeological analysis (the application of skeletal analysis to archaeological materials) is most instructive when examining bodies as complete organisms, providing information about the forces acting upon that individual both in life and after death. Reassociation of remains allows an accurate assessment of the number, age, sex, nutritional status, disease markers and mortuary treatment of the individuals buried in this important Great House. Bioarchaeology and paleopathology (the study of ancient disease processes) offer insight into an individual's nutrition, health and overall quality of life. In contrast, taphonomy (the study of postmortem changes) provides information about the manner in which a body was treated at and after death. Lastly, stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating will help to locate these remains temporally and geographically to elucidate who was buried at Pueblo Bonito, which will help to determine the function of this massive Great House. The data collected in this final phase of research will be compared with equivalent data Marden has collected from Pueblo Bonito remains housed at the National Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. These concatenated data will provide a common framework to interpret how relative health status and/or social status may have influenced mortuary behavior at this enigmatic pre-Columbian site.
The proposed research will have a broader impact on several levels. Since the canyon was the epicenter of the Chacoan system and influenced culture groups throughout the region, an understanding of cultural practices at the core site of Pueblo Bonito offers a key to understanding a broad swath of prehispanic Southwest culture. Furthermore, this research will contribute to the betterment of the museum collections and impact future research by enhancing documentation of collections. Documentation of Native American physical anthropology collections is becoming especially important with the increasing likelihood of repatriation of these remains. Ms. Marden's research will aid in reconstructing the development of Chacoan society, both now and in future research-- even after these remains are no longer available for direct observation.
