In northwest New Mexico lies Chaco Culture National Historical Park, one of the most important pre-Columbian archaeological sites in North America. Prior to 1150 CE, Chaco was a ceremonial center aligned with solar and lunar cycles, the center of culture for the Ancestral Puebloans. These people were forced to leave their homes and this ceremonial center beginning in 1130 CE due to an extremely severe drought.
Early Spanish explorers discovered the remains of these ancient people but the location was not written about until 1823, when New Mexico Governor Jose Antonio Vizcarra led an expedition through the canyon. A quarter century later, US Army Lieutenant James Simpson's reports brought Chaco Canyon to the attention of the American people.
The "discovery" of Chaco would be an important step in the creation of a new federal agency, the National Park Service.
Excavations began at Chaco and objects of the Ancestral Puebloans (formerly called Anasazi) were loaded up on trains and shipped back east. At the turn of the 20th century, growing cultural sensitivity led to efforts to preserve Native American culture rather than disturb and display it. Instead, archaeologists began to use less disruptive techniques like stratigraphy so that objects that were buried deeper could be dated and recorded. These scientists were also interested in revealing buildings and leaving them open, rather than buried, which had been a previous practice.
Archaeological practices were not the only things that changed due to Chaco Canyon. In 1902, Iowa Congressman John F. Lacey traveled to Chaco to see the impact of earlier practices and treasure hunting on the impressive examples of pre-Columbian culture. Lacey's findings helped Congress to draft and pass the Antiquities Act of 1906.
The Antiquities Act protects "antiquities" for historic and scientific interest. In addition, the act protects federally owned land from excavation and destruction. But most importantly for Chaco Canyon (and the future National Park Service), it gave the president the opportunity to designate historic locations as national monuments, and President Theodore Roosevelt used this act to designate Chaco Canyon as a national monument in 1907. In total, President Roosevelt used the Act to protect 18 locations, including the Grand Canyon.
Today, the National Park Service administers many types of units, from national parks to national monuments, national seashores, national preserves, national trails, national parkways, national memorials and many more, 18 different designations in all. Most people understandably if inaccurately just call them all "national parks".
The Antiquities Act allowed the president and Congress to establish national monuments in 1906, but it wasn't until 1916 that the National Park Service was established to administer and protect these national treasures. Today, the National Park Service turns 99.
So, happy birthday, National Park Service! #FindYourPark
No comments:
Post a Comment