CROW CANYON RESEARCH


Lessons from the past, guidance for the future

Advancing Knowledge of the Human Experience

Crow Canyon is dedicated to the belief that knowledge gained through archaeology and oral histories can build a healthier society.

Our Research Themes

Our projects address a wide variety of interrelated issues relevant not only to archaeologists but to educators, policy makers, advocacy groups, and Indigenous peoples.

Humans and the Environment


We study how humans responded to environmental change in the past and the implications for environmental policy.

Multivocal Histories


We promote respect for different cultures and preserve traditional knowledge, past and present.

Cultural and Scientific Literacy


As a social science with deep roots in STEM, archaeology helps students become critical thinkers and lifelong learners.

Featured Projects

Research Database

Crow Canyon’s Research Database is an extensive collection of field and laboratory data generated as a result of the Center’s ongoing research into Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) culture.

The Northern Chaco Outliers Project

The Northern Chaco Outliers Project (NCOP) focuses on the Haynie site, a multi-component ancestral Pueblo village with two Pueblo II period (A.D. 950–1150) great houses located northeast of Cortez, Colorado.

Research Institute


Established in 2014 by the Crow Canyon Board of Trustees, the Research Institute hosts resident and visiting interdisciplinary scholars whose collaborative approach to research is especially suited to address contemporary societal questions with large and complex data sets.

Crow Canyon Laboratory


Equipped with a wide range of analytical methods and techniques, the Crow Canyon Laboratory provides a space for citizen scientists, Native partners, associates, and staff to examine and explore research questions.

In 2017, Crow Canyon launched the Northern Chaco Outliers Project.

Recent Projects


Learn more about our ongoing projects, including the people, programs, publications, and featured stories and videos by using the links below.

  • The Northern Chaco Outliers Project
  • Synthesizing Knowledge of Past Environments
  • The Pueblo Farming Project
  • Maize Database Project
  • The Village Ecodynamics Project
  • Crow Canyon Digital Archaeology Tools and Access

Legacy Projects


  • Basketmaker Communities Project 2011—2020
  • Goodman Point Archaeological Project 2005—2010
  • Communities Through Time: Migration, Cooperation, and Conflict 1997—2004
  • The Village Testing Project 1994—1997
  • The Village Mapping Project 1993—1995
  • Sand Canyon Archaeological Project 1983—1993
  • The Duckfoot Site 1983—1997

STAY CONNECTED

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