Today
the ruins of the Chaco
Culture National Historical Park hold
great meaning to many Native American Nations of
the Southwest as sites of ancestral importance. Though it has long been recognized as a sacred place by
indigenous peoples, its magnificence was later
discovered by Anglo explorers. Having stood
the test of time, the ruins of Chaco Canyon entered the broader public consciousness in the late nineteenth century as a vivid symbol of the cultural resources
of the United States.
 Since the founding of the
Chaco Canyon National Monument in 1907, Chaco
has been at the forefront of the historic preservation
movement. Due to the early research efforts of Richard Wetherill,
George Pepper, and Edgar Hewett, the monument was
created in conjunction with the Federal Antiquities
Act of 1906 (the first piece of legislation designed
to protect cultural resources). In 1987,
Chaco Canyon was designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site signaling its
importance as a valued part of international cultural
patrimony. Today, Chaco era ruins continue
to be a focus of preservation efforts both domestically
and abroad.
Early excavations of the
1890s and 1920s in Chaco Canyon centered on discovering
the genesis and evolution of the prehistoric “Anasazi” inhabitants. These
early research efforts, conducted by the American
Museum of Natural History, the National Geographic
Society, and the Smithsonian placed Chaco at the
center of the evolving discipline of archaeological
science. Today, the Chacoan Phenomenon (Irwin-Williams
1978) continues to be a touchstone in debates about
prehistoric culture change within the discipline
of archaeology. (See the following website for
a summary of recent issues.)
 Through generous funding from the Andrew
Mellon Foundation, the mission
of the Chaco Digital Initiative is to ensure
that the early archaeological research records
are preserved for and accessible to future
generations. Currently these materials
are scattered around the country at various
repository institutions, making it difficult
to answer some fundamental research questions. Our
goal is to make the research and human history
of this national treasure available through
a comprehensive digital research archive that
will allow people to search information such
as field notes, images, maps, and tree ring
dates by user specified criteria. Users
will also be able to browse data through a
graphical interface. When completed in
2009, we hope that the Chaco Digital Initiative will continue to place Chaco Canyon at the forefront of preservation efforts in the United States and abroad and serve as a model for the role of new technologies in archaeological
scholarship.
PHASE 1 of
CDI is currently available. PHASE
2, when completed in 2009, will allow
researchers to more effectively and efficiently
address the many unresolved issues regarding
culture change in the canyon and the surrounding
region. Though
the project is ongoing, we will continue to make
information available to the broader community
as quickly as possible. Please check back
as we are frequently adding information. If
you would like to join our email list for periodic
updates please contact us with the word “subscribe” in
the subject field at chaco@virginia.edu.
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