Archeological investigations at Thunderbird Lodge
McKenna PJ and Travis SE. 1989. Archeological investigations at Thunderbird Lodge. Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers. Number 20. Branch of Cultural Resources Management, Division of Anthropology, National Park Service. Santa Fe, New Mexico
The Thunderbird Lodge is located a half mile south of the Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center at the mouth of the canyon system. The lodge, a concession within Canyon de Chelly National Monument, has operated as a trading post, guest headquarters, and social center in the Chinle area since the first post was constructed in 1902. The lodge has seen intermittent expansion from its rustic origins in 1902 through 1986 when the most recent improvement was completed. Off-season remodeling at the Thunderbird Lodge in Buildings 13, 14, and 15 involved extensive alterations to ceilings, walls, floors, and subfloor deposits. The following report discusses our findings from limited excavation, profiles and elevation prepared primarily for Buildings 13 and 15, and examines those observations in relationship to the known development of the Thunderbird Ranch complex. To accomplish this, an outline of the history of the Thunderbird Ranch is presented, our field methods discussed, archeological artifacts assessed, and comparisons with previous documentation drawn.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- McKenna, Peter; Travis, Scott
- Date of Issue
- 1989
- Publisher
- Branch of Cultural Resources Management, Division of Anthropology, National Park Service
- Units
- CACH , HIST
- Keywords
- Anthropology, Archeology, Canyon De Chelly, Cultural Resources, ehistory, History, Resource Management, Thunderbird Lodge, Trading Operations