Taphonomy, paleopathology and mortuary variability in Chaco Canyon: Using bioarchaeological and forensic methods to understand ancient cultural practices
Description
Beginning in the ninth century, Chaco Canyon saw the construction of distinctive, large-scale masonry architecture that has come to characterize the Chaco culture system. However, the great houses of Chaco Canyon were abandoned long before European contact, leaving behind no record of why these large structures were originally built or what function they served. Pueblo Bonito, which was among the earliest and most centrally located of the Chaco great houses, entombed dozens of individuals in two small clusters of intramural burial chambers. Many of the remains were disarticulated, while others were buried with a remarkable array of grave goods, engendering a range of theories regarding who these persons were and why they were buried within the walls of this important structure. To address these questions, the present study uses methods derived from bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology by first reassociating the commingled human skeletal remains, then performing taphonomic and pathological analysis of these individuals. Reassociation of these remains prior to analysis permits more accurate assessment of sex and age of these individuals, as well as of their health status of these individuals in life and their treatment at death. Results of this study do not support previous interpretations that these burials represent sociopolitical elites, nor that they were the victims of human sacrifice, fallen warriors, or victims of cannibalism. This research does not indicate that the disarticulated bodies result from natural taphonomic processes, looting or vandalism, and points to a different perspective on Chaco mortuary behavior. This research offers a fresh perspective on who these persons may have been and what their disposition within the walls of Pueblo Bonito might signify