Hot Chocolate, Macaw Feathers, Seashells, and Bison Hides

Pueblo Bonita in Chaco Canyon is an enigma with numerous theories advanced about its history and purpose. Among the likely major trading partners proposed and discussed are the native inhabitants of Spiro (Okahoma), Cahokia (Illinois), Casas Grandes/Paquimé (Chihuahua, Mexico), and Hohokam villages (Arizona). Items traded included not only the already-known macaw feathers, cocoa, and turquoise but also bison hides, hide products, olivella shells, and human captives. Join with others in this course to examine and discuss the archaeological evidence pointing to Pueblo Bonito being the center of a vast trading network stretching not only South to Mexico, but also West to the Pacific Ocean and East to the Mississippi River.