Anasazi/4-corners ruins
bohuski@wkyuvm.wku.edu
Wed, 4 Jan 1995 15:12:28 CST
A Connecticut newspaper published an article about the residential
development in the Crow Canyon (?? I think...left the article home) area
of Cortez, Colorado. It's an area apparently rich in Anasazi artifacts.
The tracts of land are 35 acres minimum. Prospective buyers, according to
the article, are screened to sell only to people who have a clear interest
in preserving all Anasazi artifacts, dwellings, etc. unearthed on their
property. Excavation can only be done under the supervision of creditable
archeologists, and any items unearthed must be turned over to a museum
upon the death of the owners who requested the dig. There was no comment
on the presence of burial grounds or otherwise sacred sites in the area.
One justification voiced for allowing such development was that the
alternative was the likely piecemeal sale of the sand and probable
descration or outright destruction of archeologically significant items.
If this whole business has been handled as carefully as was suggested
in the article (and therein lies one question...), should this be used as
a prototypical example of a (relatively) acceptable way to do things when
development of similar areas seems imminent and unstoppable? Even if
things look good on paper, I expect it will be some years (like, human
lifespan?) before one can properly evaluate the extent to which current
promises = future reality.
With best wishes for a good 1995 to all,
Tom Bohuski
P.S. Found nothing about this in the archives, though I semi-recall
reading about this some months ago.