The Falls Creek Rock Shelters
Reanalysis, Repatriation, and Reconciliation
Edited by Dawn Mulhern Mona Charles
A fresh look at an iconic Southwest archaeological site
Discovered in 1937 amid a surge of pothunting in the American Southwest, the Falls Creek Rock Shelters in Durango, Colorado, quickly became one of the most significant archaeological sites in the region. With its remarkable preservation of perishable materials, the site attracted both amateur and professional archaeologists, culminating in Earl Morris and Robert Burgh’s 1954 landmark study on the Eastern Basketmakers.
This volume brings together experts in chronometry, rock art, bioarchaeology, and material culture to reexamine the site with fresh perspectives, advanced methodologies, and crucial tribal consultation. By integrating twenty-first century research with historical records, it sheds new light on the Eastern Basketmaker II Tradition—both as part of a broader cultural landscape and as a distinct regional identity. A must-read for archaeologists, institutions reconciling legacy collections, and those interested in collaborative research, this book offers a groundbreaking, holistic view of one of the Southwest’s most fascinating prehistoric communities.
Discovered in 1937 amid a surge of pothunting in the American Southwest, the Falls Creek Rock Shelters in Durango, Colorado, quickly became one of the most significant archaeological sites in the region. With its remarkable preservation of perishable materials, the site attracted both amateur and professional archaeologists, culminating in Earl Morris and Robert Burgh’s 1954 landmark study on the Eastern Basketmakers.
This volume brings together experts in chronometry, rock art, bioarchaeology, and material culture to reexamine the site with fresh perspectives, advanced methodologies, and crucial tribal consultation. By integrating twenty-first century research with historical records, it sheds new light on the Eastern Basketmaker II Tradition—both as part of a broader cultural landscape and as a distinct regional identity. A must-read for archaeologists, institutions reconciling legacy collections, and those interested in collaborative research, this book offers a groundbreaking, holistic view of one of the Southwest’s most fascinating prehistoric communities.