In the last episode my guest referred to the Chaco Meridian, a north to south alignment in the southwestern United States marked by Ancestral Puebloan power centers. Following that thread, herein I speak with Stephen Lekson, a Professor of Anthropology and Curator of Archaeology at the Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado, Boulder, who currently serves as Contributing Editor for Archaeology Magazine.

Stephen has led over 20 archaeological excavations in the monumental landscapes of the southwest, and he’s written 12 books including his controversial 1999 work, “The Chaco Meridian,” in which he proposed the existence of a deliberate north to south alignment marked by a series of Casas Grandes, or Great Houses.

The professor shares his entrapping story of a mid-13th century group of social elites living at Aztec Ruins in northwestern New Mexico, who extended their ancestral alignment over 600 kilometers southwards, where they founded Casas Grandes, or Paquimé in northern Mexico. And while some archaeologists contest this long-distance meridional alignment, in this discussion Stephen doubles down suggesting it was perhaps extended 700 kilometers south of Paquimé, terminating at an indigenous settlement to the east of Culiacán in northwestern Mexico.

It’s time to unearth celestial-cosmology, and to hunt for astro-cartography in the high desert of northwestern New Mexico, with Professor Stephen Lekson.

---
Professor Stephen H. Lekson Professional Bio
---

Subscribe to the History Fuzz podcast and never miss an episode

For $5/month History Fuzz members get early, ad-free access to new episodes, exclusive video content, documentaries, articles and maps. Become a History Fuzz Member

Send questions, requests, criticisms, suggestions and feedback

History Fuzz Online Website : Instagram : Facebook : Youtube

Join the History Fuzz team exploring and filming in Colombia

All television and media enquiries please contact Eric Radin and AKA Talent

To advertise your product or service on this podcast, or to discuss show sponsorship options, please contact Ashley Cowie by email