American Museum of Natural History Research Library
author: American Museum of Natural History

The Chaco Phenomenon (Exhibition)
birth: 1987 March 6
death: 1987 August 2
Exhibition. Opened in March 6, 1987 and closed August 2, 1987. Located in Section 3, Floor 3 in the Gallery 3 at the American Museum of Natural History. "The Chaco Phenomenon" was an exhibition which explored prehistoric Anasazi culture.
Summary
"The Chaco Phenomenon" was an exhibition which explored prehistoric Anasazi culture. The Anasazi Indians were the ancestors of the Pueblo culture, and Chaco Canyon was center of their world. The exhibition explored the social, political and religious aspects of the people who resided in Chaco Canyon around 1130 A.D. On view were more than 200 artifacts excavated at Chaco including turquoise-covered basketry, turquoise and shell jewelry and black and white pottery. Lithographs of paintings made by Richard Kern in 1849, fiberglass replicas of masonry, and many historic and modern photographs were also presented. Also included was a jet frog effigy, a ritualistic symbol of water. The exhibition was prepared by the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology in Albuquerque and was supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University of New Mexico Foundation, the Maxwell Museum Association, and Sante Fe Industries. David Hurst Thomas, the then-Curator in the American Museum of Natural History's Department of Anthropoligy, was the curator of the exhibition. The exhibit was on view in Gallery 3 of the American Museum of Natural History from March 6 through August 2, 1987. It then traveled to the Nickle Arts Museum at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Additional detailed information available in Press Release "Fact Sheet" dated January 14, 1987.
Individuals and institutions involved in the creation of the exhibition: Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Albuquerque, New Mexico; David Hurst Thomas; AMNH Department of Anthropology