Answer · Great houses of Chaco Canyon
The centre of a populous regional polity that expanded rapidly after 1040, with roads, shrines and outliers…
The centre of a populous regional polity that expanded rapidly after 1040, with roads, shrines and outliers as its infrastructure.
Where it stands
Most likelyIts tests partly supported it: two pieces of evidence for, none against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.
What it predicts
- Regional population at the peak exceeds earlier estimates.
- Outliers share architecture and appear in a short burst after 1040.
- Imports to the canyon come from the outlier regions.
What would rule it out
- Regional household counts showing the system's population was too small to support colonial-style expansion.
Evidence 2 for · none against
FOR
The questions it answers
Most likelyThe seat of a hereditary elite whose house at Pueblo Bonito controlled ritual and long-distance exchange
Cite it
Mysteries Department. (2026). The centre of a populous regional polity that expanded rapidly after 1040, with roads, shrines and outliers… [Answer ANS0D9KTXRR2HK7]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D9KTXRR2HK7
@misc{mysteriesdept_ans0d9ktxrr2hk7,
title = {The centre of a populous regional polity that expanded rapidly after 1040, with roads, shrines and outliers…},
author = {{Mysteries Department}},
year = {2026},
note = {Answer, catalog key ANS0D9KTXRR2HK7},
url = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D9KTXRR2HK7}
}