Anthropologist to Discuss Native American Southwest Ruins on May 13 at Cal Poly

Stephen H. Lekson, curator of anthropology at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, will talk on “Chaco: Capital of the Ancient Southwest” at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 13, in the Spanos Theatre on campus.

Lekson will discuss Chaco Canyon’s complicated history to show how its communities represented a major political, economic and ceremonial capital. Although common ideas of Pueblo tribes suggest egalitarian and peaceful societies, Chaco’s history tells a different story, said Lekson. 

Archaeological findings from the New Mexico-based Chaco Canyon, now a national park and World Heritage Site, will be used with native tradition to present a new interpretation of Chaco as a Mesoamerican-style polity with complex tensions and real struggles.

Lekson earned his doctorate in anthropology from the University of New Mexico, where he focused his studies on issues related to Chaco Canyon. He has written several books and peer-reviewed articles, including “The Architecture of Chaco Canyon” and “A History of the Ancient Southwest.” Lekson has also received several awards, including the U.S. Department of Interior Excellence Award and the Roy Chapman Andrews Distinguished Explorer award.

The presentation is sponsored by Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts’ Lottery Speakers Fund and the History and Social Sciences departments. The event is free and open to the public.