Chaco Canyon's Regional Centrality in the 1050s

Timeline

1. 1051–1055Pueblo Bonito · Chaco CanyonPueblo Bonito completed multiple phases of stone construction during this period, forming a D-shaped Great House with hundreds of rooms. The central kiva and elite burial areas indicate strict Chacoan elite control over ritual and the afterlife; building materials included pine logs and sandstone hauled over long distances.
2. 1051–1060Chaco road system · New MexicoStraight roads radiating from Chaco Canyon connected dozens of outlying Great House communities across the San Juan Basin. Large outlying settlements such as Aztec Ruins and Salmon Ruins were built mainly in the late 11th to early 12th century and should not be directly regarded as tribute points completed in the 1050s. The roads and ceremonial architecture still demonstrate Chaco's status as a regional integration center.
3. 1055–1060Fajada Butte and the canyon's ceremonial landscape · Chaco CanyonChaco architecture and mesa-top layouts reflect a tradition of observing celestial phenomena such as the solstices. In the mid-11th century Chaco reached its zenith as the ceremonial-political center of the San Juan Basin; the 'Chaco Meridian' political-center theory, proposed by scholars such as Lekson, remains debated in academia. After the 12th century the center shifted, and drought and social change around the 1130s disrupted this pattern.