Series 1: Reiter Notebooks, 1929 - 1938
Series
Scope and Contents
6 Volumes. Includes excavation reports, field reports, student papers, field notes, lecture notes, correspondence,
artifact lists, field data forms, autographed notes, graphs, photographs, drawings, oversize maps, and
oversize blueprint created by students of the UNM Chaco Canyon field school. Also includes
records of loans, collections inventories, artifact lists and descriptions, catalog codes, and
correspondence related to the Museum of New Mexico. Also includes Paul Reiter’s personal notes,
research material, M.A. thesis, and notes related to the UNM Jemez field school.
Dates
- 1929 - 1938
Creator
- Reiter, Paul, 1909-1953 (Person)
Biographical / Historical
The Reiter Notebooks include Paul Reiter’s collection of UNM field school and Museum of New
Mexico materials. The Notebooks include material from all aspects of Paul Reiter’s career between
1929 and 1938 and reflect his varied roles with UNM and the Museum of New Mexico.
The bulk of the material in the Notebooks was generated by the University of New Mexico field
school, which operated in Chaco Canyon from 1929 to 1942 and again in 1947. The field school
began as a joint operation between UNM and the School of American Research (SAR) and Museum
of New Mexico (MNM) under the direction of Edgar L. Hewett, who served as director from 1929
to 1934. The collaboration between UNM and SAR/MNM lasted until 1935; after 1935, UNM
operated the Chaco field schools independently. The Notebooks contain reports, notes,
correspondence, and associated graphic materials describing excavations conducted at Chaco
Canyon by the UNM field school between 1929 and 1938. This material primarily relates to the site
of Chetro Ketl, but also includes reports and notes on other major sites in Chaco Canyon, such as
Talus Unit 1 and Casa Rinconada; tree ring studies by Florence Hawley; and reports and notes from
the UNM field school in Jemez, which ran concurrently with the Chaco Canyon field school. The
Notebooks also contain records, inventories, notes, and correspondence related to Reiter’s position
as Curator of Archaeology at the Museum of New Mexico, which he held from 1931 to 1938, as
well as Reiter’s personal notes and research, including drafts of his 1933 M.A. thesis on Chetro Ketl.
The Notebooks provide a record of the activities of the UNM field school in Chaco Canyon and the
Museum of New Mexico while also reflecting Reiter’s personal interests. Most of the material was
collected by Reiter during his association with the field school, first as a student from 1929 to 1932
and then as a faculty member in 1933, 1940-1941, and 1947. Reiter made multiple copies of student
reports for his personal research use and kept both Museum of New Mexico materials and his own
notes and research intermixed with them; he later bound all of this material into 6 volumes. For the
most part, the Notebooks lack a strong sense of internal organization. In some cases, multiple copies
of the same report were bound in separate volumes or a single report or set of notes was split up and
bound in separate volumes. This organization has been retained to preserve Paul Reiter’s original
order. Any inconsistencies in order, as well as the existence of multiple copies, are noted in the
individual file unit records
Extent
From the Collection: 7.4 Linear Feet (11 document boxes; 1 OS box 16x20"; 1 binder box 12x11"; 1 flat box 12x15"; 1 flat box 14.5x11.5"; 3 photo boxes 5x8") : 111 negatives; 546 prints; 304 photocards; 12 interpositives; 6 oversize maps;
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Organized into 6 subseries:
Subseries A: Volume 1; Subseries B: Volume 2; Subseries C: Volume 3;
Subseries D: Volume 4; Subseries E: Volume 5; Subseries F: Volume 6
Creator
- Reiter, Paul, 1909-1953 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the NPS Chaco Culture National Historical Park Repository
Contact:
Chaco Culture NHP & Aztec Ruins NM Museum & Archives Program
Hibben Center Rm 307 - MSC01 1050
450 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque NM 87106 USA
Chaco Culture NHP & Aztec Ruins NM Museum & Archives Program
Hibben Center Rm 307 - MSC01 1050
450 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque NM 87106 USA