Review by Choice Review
The Chaco Phenomenon was an elaborate regional culture system in the US Southwest that flourished around 850-1150 CE, ancestral to modern Pueblo culture. Towns with multistory "great houses" and other structures were linked by carefully constructed roads and shared the distinctive Chaco crafts and ideology. In Chaco Canyon, northwest New Mexico, the famous ruin of Pueblo Bonito was the grandest of the great houses, with over 500 rooms and five stories. One of the many outliers in the system was the multistory great house site at Bluff in southeastern Utah. Clearly defined research goals guided the fieldwork and analysis of this site. Eight chapters are by Cameron (Univ. of Colorado, Boulder), with contributions by other archaeologists who have worked at the site. Excellent illustrations enhance detailed descriptions of the fieldwork methods and analysis of the major structures and architectural features. Comparative data from other sites are presented throughout. Chapters written by specialists on artifacts and other topics are on the enclosed CD-ROM. This book is a major contribution to understanding how the Chaco Phenomenon developed and functioned in the wider region, why the system declined, and the post-Chaco era. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. K. A. Dixon emeritus, California State University, Long Beach
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
