The Wetherills Of The Mesa Verde

Following in the wake of what one noted scientist called 'transients who neither revered nor cared for the ruins as symbols of the past, ' the Wetherill family became the earliest students of Mesa Verde. Their careful excavations and record-keeping helped preserve key information, leading to a deeper understanding of the people who built and occupied the cliff dwellings. As devout Quakers, they felt they were predestined to protect the historic sites from wanton destruction - a role that would not be assumed by the government or other institutions until years later. Based on decades of meticulous research, author Fred Blackburn sets the record straight on these early protectors of Mesa Verde.

Biography of the man who discovered the prehistoric ruins at Mesa Verde, Colorado, and began the excavation of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

"The Water Mysteries of Mesa Verde" Learn about the science of paleohydrology--the study of water use by ancient peoples, by Kenneth R. Wright.

This bittersweet tale about a professor's desire to stay in his old study and cling to what used to be on the eve of moving into a new house sparks deep introspection in a story that explores a mid-life crisis and family life in a 1920s Midwestern college town.

In 'Indians of the Mesa Verde', Don Watson delves deep into the archaeological history of the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited the Mesa Verde region. Through meticulous research and vivid descriptions, Watson brings to life the culture, daily life, and architectural achievements of these ancient people. Drawing from primary sources and fieldwork, the book offers a comprehensive look at the Mesa Verde civilization, making it an essential read for anyone interested in Native American history. The author's narrative style seamlessly weaves together historical facts and cultural insights, providing a compelling and informative read. Don Watson, a renowned archaeologist with over two decades of fieldwork experience in the Southwest, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to 'Indians of the Mesa Verde'. His passion for understanding and preserving Native American heritage shines through in this book, making it a valuable contribution to the field of Southwestern archaeology. Watson's expertise and dedication to the subject make him a credible and reliable source of information on the Ancestral Puebloans. I highly recommend 'Indians of the Mesa Verde' to anyone interested in exploring the rich history of the Ancestral Puebloans and the cultural heritage of the Southwest. Watson's meticulous research and engaging writing style make this book a must-read for both scholars and general readers seeking a deeper understanding of the Mesa Verde civilization.

Published in cooperation with the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies, Southern Methodist University Ruins are as central to the image of the American Southwest as are its mountains and deserts, and antiquity is a key element of modern southwestern heritage. Yet prior to the mid-nineteenth century this rich legacy was largely unknown to the outside world. While military expeditions first brought word of enigmatic relics to the eastern United States, the new intellectual frontier was seized by archaeologists, who used the results of their southwestern explorations to build a foundation for the scientific study of the American past. In Ruins and Rivals, James Snead helps us understand the historical development of archaeology in the Southwest from the 1890s to the 1920s and its relationship with the popular conception of the region. He examines two major research traditions: expeditions dispatched from the major eastern museums and those supported by archaeological societies based in the Southwest itself. By comparing the projects of New York's American Museum of Natural History with those of the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles and the Santa Fe-based School of American Archaeology, he illustrates the way that competition for status and prestige shaped the way that archaeological remains were explored and interpreted. The decades-long competition between institutions and their advocates ultimately created an agenda for Southwest archaeology that has survived into modern times. Snead takes us back to the days when the field was populated by relic hunters and eastern "museum men" who formed uneasy alliances among themselves and with western boosters who used archaeology to advance their own causes. Richard Wetherill, Frederic Ward Putnam, Charles Lummis, and other colorful characters all promoted their own archaeological endeavors before an audience that included wealthy patrons, museum administrators, and other cultural figures. The resulting competition between scholarly and public interests shifted among museum halls, legislative chambers, and the drawing rooms of Victorian America but always returned to the enigmatic ruins of Chaco Canyon, Bandelier, and Mesa Verde. Ruins and Rivals contains a wealth of anecdotal material that conveys the flavor of digs and discoveries, scholars and scoundrels, tracing the origins of everything from national monuments to "Santa Fe Style." It rekindles the excitement of discovery, illustrating the role that archaeology played in creating the southwestern "past" and how that image of antiquity continues to exert its influence today.