You are currently viewing the summary.
View Full TextLog in to view the full text
AAAS login provides access to Science for AAAS members, and access to other journals in the Science family to users who have purchased individual subscriptions.
More options
Download and print this article for your personal scholarly, research, and educational use.
Buy a single issue of Science for just $15 USD.
Summary
Between about 850 C.E. and 1250 C.E., Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico's San Juan Basin was at the center of a vast and sophisticated Pueblo culture. Today, the park is at the center of an oil and gas boom that archaeologists, environmentalists, and Native American activists say threatens a broader landscape filled with hundreds of Chacoan sites. Earlier this month, Chaco experts presented a plan to slow down the granting of drilling leases close to the park. They are also preparing a white paper arguing that the widest possible region around Chaco Canyon should be protected from drilling. Meanwhile, environmental and Native American groups have gone to court to block 239 pending drilling permits in the Chaco area.
↵* in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
