CHACOAN AND VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AT AZTEC RUINS: PUTTING CHACO IN ITS PLACE

Aztec Ruins is a classic Chacoan outlier. The two major great houses have classic Chacoan architecture and masonry attributes, alongside vernacular architecture that is more typical o f the San Juan area. Most intriguing are attributes that are not easily categorized as either local or nonlocal, suggesting a mixed group of people participating in great-house construction. Our interpretation supports aspects of both Chacoan immigration and local emulation at Aztec. We believe that Chaco Canyon provided leadership and skilled craftsmen who collaborated with local residents, unlike many outliers where emulation by local populations seems to outweigh Chacoan immigration and control.