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Pueblo Bonito dynasty leader

Type Figure Region American Southwest Time c. 975–1030 Also known as Pueblo Bonito dynasty leader、Chacoan elite matriline head、Burial 14 lineage descendant

This figure represents the matrilineal ruling elite of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon in the early 11th century;…

Timeline

  1. c. 1001–1010Pueblo Bonito · Chaco CanyonAt this time Pueblo Bonito was the canyon's largest great house, with over 650 rooms. The matrilineal elite maintained political influence across the wider Southwest by controlling ritual, the distribution of goods and the road network; the 11th century was the peak of Chacoan construction and population expansion.
  2. c. 880–1130Room 33, Pueblo Bonito · Chaco CanyonRoom 33, excavated in 1896, contained 14 remains; genomics confirmed nine samples had identical mitochondrial DNA, and nuclear genomes showed mother-daughter and grandmother-granddaughter relationships. Rich grave goods indicate hereditary inequality was institutionalized by the early 9th century, with power transmitted through the female line, echoing the matrilineal clan traditions of Pueblo ethnography.

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