Chaco Canyon, in the desert of northwestern New Mexico, is home to one of the most complex and enigmatic ancient ruins in North America. There is a cluster of eight very large great houses in downtown Chaco Canyon, many other features including miles of straight roads, and hundreds of outlying communities built in the same style. Since the first scientific excavations more than a century ago, archaeologists have sought answers to the most basic questions about Chaco. Who build it? Why locate it in such a remote and desolate place? What happened to make it suddenly disappear about A.D. 1130? There is still no consensus as to the answers to any of these questions.
In this stunning new volume, writer Lucy Lippard and photographer Pete Goin present all the latest information and theories about Chaco Canyon and its system, including a chapter on Mesa Verde, a related culture. Lippard draws on the large body of Chacoan literature produced by European-American scientists as well as stories from Native Americans who may be descendants of the Chacoans, including modern Puebloans, Navajos, and Utes. She argues that the conflicting narratives stem from differing ways time is measured in very different cultures— linear by Euro-Americans, cyclical by Native Americans.
Goin juxtaposes historical photographs from the late 19th century to the 1930s with contemporary images to investigate the role of time in archaeological sites. His commentary focuses on how preservation and restoration over time changes the interpretation of the sites, often leading to arbitrary choices based on the culture of the restorers. How time is measured in such a place—astronomically, historically, environmentally, and through Native American stories—is an intriguing source of inquiry.
Time and Time Again is a beautiful book about one of America’s most fascinating people and places. Its 98 color and black and white photos bring the ancient ruins to life and stimulate the reader’s imagination. The text is both informative and a challenge to the reader to visit and learn more about a story that continues to unfold as new discoveries and new perspectives chase the many mysteries of Chaco Canyon. —Mark Michel