The House of the Cylinder Jars: Room 28 in Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon

In 1896, excavations in Room 28 in Pueblo Bonito made several extraordinary finds: 173 whole ceramic vessels, including 112 Chacoan cylinder jars, as well as hundreds of ornaments and copper objects. After discovering residues of cacao in cylinder jars in 2009, Dr. Crown supervised the reexcavation of Room 28 in 2013 to examine the stratigraphy, collect datable materials, and determine when and why the room burned. In this talk, Patricia will describe the results of this re-excavation, which helps us understand how the jars were used in the cacao-drinking ritual and why the room was set on fire.  Surprisingly, the room had been filled with backdirt from surrounding rooms, giving additional information on the area of Pueblo Bonito known as the “northern burial cluster.”