Four Corners Ancestral Puebloan Tour with Dr. Martha Yates – G26050402
Join Dr. Martha Yates for an unforgettable journey through the heart of the ancient Southwest. This immersive course, with 7 nights on the road and 3 nights at the Ranch, invites you to walk in the footsteps of the Ancestral Puebloan people, exploring the awe-inspiring landscapes and enduring architecture that tell their stories.
The first day features background presentations on the ancient cultures and archaeoastronomy of the Southwest with time to explore the museums and trails of the Ranch. The next day we leave for our road trip through the Chaco world (775-1125 CE): from the twin spires of Chimney Rock, an ancient Chaco astronomical observatory, to the multi-storied Great House of Aztec. We spend an entire day walking through the 4-5 story Great Houses of Chaco Canyon, look into its Great Kivas, and discuss recent discoveries. We travel through the Shiprock volcanic field and over the Chuska Mountains to Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. Staying for two nights we take a jeep ride into the canyon marveling at the cliff dwellings in the soaring sandstone walls. Following this, for three days we’re in Colorado exploring the Mesa Verde world (c.1150-1300) which includes a remarkable petroglyph site along the San Juan River and tours of Hovenweep National Monument, Castle Rock in Canyons of the Ancients, and Mesa Verde National Park. At Ute Mountain an Ute guide will lead us on a hiking trail of discovery in a remote area of rugged canyons where we walk into Tree House, Lion House and Eagle’s Nest cliff dwellings, and others, what National Geographic calls one of the 80 best experiences in the world. We spend our last night at Ghost Ranch with discussion and farewell dinner.
To register for this program, please call in only to Prescilla Tafoya (505) 685-1019!
Instructor
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Dr. Martha YatesDr. Martha Yates is an accomplished archaeologist, educator, and museum director who served as Coyote District Archaeologist for the Santa Fe National Forest, and as Director of the Anthropology and Paleontology Museums at Ghost Ranch. In 2008, she was appointed by the White House and the Secretary of the Interior to the Bureau of Land Management’s Resources Advisory Council.
Dr. Yates has taught at UCLA, the University of California Santa Barbara, and the University of Vermont. She earned her Ph.D. in Classics from UCLA, specializing in Bronze Age archaeology, Etruscan mirror work, and Linear B tablets, and holds additional degrees from Columbia University and the University of Vermont. As a Resident Scholar at Harvard, she studied Sanskrit and Hindu mythology.Also a professional photographer, her work has appeared in The New York Times and WNEW-TV News. She has received numerous honors, including UC Santa Barbara’s Distinguished Scholars Award.