1997 Pecos Conference Records
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents:
This is an assembled collection containing planning notes,
conference ephemera, maps, correspondences, financial
records, newsletters, publications, negatives, photographs,
obituaries, permit records, compact cassette tapes, papers
presented, transcriptions, floppy disks, and exhibit
materials.
Dates
- Creation: 1996-2008 (bulk dates: 1997)
Creator
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Agency : U.S.) (Organization)
Biographical / Historical
History:
A.V. Kidder, one of the foremost archeologists in the southwestern US, convened the first Pecos
Conference in 1927 at his field camp near Pecos, NM. The purpose of the conference
according to Kidder was to “…bring about contact between workers in the Southwest field to
discuss fundamental problems of Southwest prehistory; and to formulate problems of Southwest
prehistory; to pool knowledge of facts and techniques, and to lay a foundation for a unified
system of nomenclature.” Kidder convened a second and third Pecos Conference in 1929 and
1931 in Pecos, NM and Santa Fe, NM.
In place of the Pecos Conference, a meeting known as the Chaco Anthropological Conference
which was similar to the Pecos Conference (but included Mayan prehistory in addition to
southwest prehistory), took place in Chaco Canyon in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, and 1941. Due to
World War II and the associated lack of funds, there were no major archeological conferences in
the southwest from 1942-1945. Finally in 1946, the Pecos Conference was held in Santa Fe after
having disappeared for 15 years, marking the beginning of an annual tradition. The following
year, the University of New Mexico brought the Pecos Conference to Chaco Canyon for the first
time. Since then, the Pecos Conference has had no formal leadership or organization but
continues to take place every year in a location in the southwestern US or northern Mexico.
Held on August 14th through the 17th, the 1997 Pecos Conference marked a return to Chaco
Canyon after 50 years. The event was a collaborative effort shared by the NPS, CCNHP, the
Intermountain Field Area, and the Maxwell Museum Association. The planning team included
Tom Windes, Chairman of the planning committee and CCNHP archeologist, Philip LoPiccolo
and Wendy Bustard, Curators of Chaco Museum Collection, Alan Shalette, Maxwell Museum
volunteer, Joyce Raab, Chaco Collection Archivist, and Dabney Ford, archaeologist for CCNHP.
Other contributors were David Stuart of UNM and Rory Gauthier of CCNHP.
Joyce Raab assembled the contents of the collection. The files contain the planning notes and
ephemera of Joyce Raab, Phil LoPiccolo, Tom Windes, and others who planned the conference.
A large portion of the collection are photographs of speakers, poster sessions, events, and views
of Chaco Canyon taken during the Pecos Conference, most of which were taken by Joyce Raab
and her husband, Leonard A. Raab. There are also recordings and transcriptions of several
papers presented at the Pecos Conference as well as the original mounted photos and captions
representing the exhibit displayed at the CCNHP visitor center.
Extent
3.1 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arrangement/Organization:
Organized into 4 series:
Series I: Administrative Records
Series II: Images
Series III: Papers Presented
Series IV: Exhibit Materials
Series I arranged alphabetically. Series II arranged by
negative numbers within each file unit. Series III arranged
in chronological order. Series IV in order of original display
order of exhibit.
Provenance
Provenance: NPS; Joyce Raab, Tom Windes
- Title
- Finding Aid for 1997 Pecos Conference Records
- Subtitle
- Coll 0305
- Author
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park, National Park Service
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the NPS Chaco Culture National Historical Park Repository
Chaco Culture NHP & Aztec Ruins NM Museum & Archives Program
Hibben Center Rm 307 - MSC01 1050
450 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque NM 87106 USA