# Benson 2019: Prehistoric Chaco Canyon, New Mexico: Residential population implications of limited agricultural and mammal productivity

> Larry V. Benson, Deanna N. Grimstead, 2019. 8 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The quantitative case for a small resident population or for food…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D9KT8H215DB/prehistoric-chaco-canyon-new-mexico-residential-population  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Great houses of Chaco Canyon](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon)Benson 2019

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# Prehistoric Chaco Canyon, New Mexico: Residential population implications of limited agricultural and mammal productivity

Larry V. Benson, Deanna N. Grimstead, 2019. _Journal of Archaeological Science 108: 104971_.

Estimates the maize the canyon floor could yield and the small mammals it could supply, and concludes that local production could feed no more than about 1,000 people, well short of a year-round population of about 2,300.

**Great houses of Chaco Canyon** Articledoi: **[10.1016/j.jas.2019.104971](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2019.104971)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The quantitative case for a small resident population or for food imports.

## Cited by on this site 8 records

[Fewer than about 1,000 lived in the canyon year-round; the rest of the capacity was for visitors or storage.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon/answers/ANS0D9KTYR06TY3/fewer-than-about-1-000-lived-in-the-canyon-year-round-the)

Answer

ANS

[Local maize could feed about 1,000 people at most.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon/evidence/EVD0D9KTXGY3XVG/local-maize-could-feed-about-1-000-people-at-most)

Evidence

EVD

[Maize from the canyon floor could feed about 1,000 people at most.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon/evidence/EVD0D9KTYZT1WJR/maize-from-the-canyon-floor-could-feed-about-1-000-people-at)

Evidence

EVD

[The canyon floor could grow maize for about 1,000 people at most, and small game could not supply a…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon/evidence/EVD0D9KTV2T7A46/the-canyon-floor-could-grow-maize-for-about-1-000-people-at)

Evidence

EVD

[Benson and Grimstead estimate the canyon could feed about 1,000 people](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon/events/EVT0D9KTQX87NG8/benson-and-grimstead-estimate-the-canyon-could-feed-about-1)

EVT

[Larry V. Benson](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon/people/FIG0D9KTGTP1RMQ/larry-v-benson)

FIG

[The great houses of Chaco Canyon](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon)

The mystery article

MYS

[How many people lived in Chaco Canyon at its height?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/chaco-canyon/questions/QST0D9KTSKY2KY5/how-many-people-lived-in-chaco-canyon-at-its-height)

Question

QST

## Cite it

```
Benson, L. V., & Grimstead, D. N. (2019). Prehistoric Chaco Canyon, New Mexico: Residential population implications of limited agricultural and mammal productivity. Journal of Archaeological Science 108: 104971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2019.104971
```

[Find it at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2019.104971)

Key

**SRC** 0D9KT8H215DB

Kind

Journal article

Rights

The publisher's

Kept

27 Oct 2026, for editors

Checked

Against the published article

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

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