Room 33 in Pueblo Bonito is just 6x6 feet but held 14 burials placed over 300 years. The two oldest were covered in 12,000 turquoise beads. A 2017 DNA study found 9 of 14 shared mitochondrial DNA, indicating a matrilineal bloodline. Over 30,000 artifacts came from this one room discovered in 1896.
Room 33 in Pueblo Bonito Great House reveals matrilineal elite with Mesoamerican trade goods
Site mentioned
📍 Pueblo Bonito Great House🌍 Show on the globe
Key facts
- Room 33 in Pueblo Bonito Great House measured 6x6 feet and contained 14 burials interred over about 300 years
- The two lowest burials were placed in the late 800s CE and covered in rich offerings including fancy ceramics, copper artifacts, and 12,000 turquoise beads
- Over 30,000 artifacts were recovered from the single room, discovered in 1896
- A 2017 DNA study found 9 of 14 individuals shared the same mitochondrial DNA, indicating a matrilineal bloodline
- Adjacent Room 38 contained 14 scarlet macaw skeletons plus guano, indicating a live bird pen; the birds originate from tropical rainforests in southern Mexico and Central America, over 1,000 miles away
- Room 28 contained 173 ceramic vessels, 112 of which were cylindrical vases
- A 2009 residue study found chocolate traces in some of the cylindrical vessels
- Cylindrical vases are characteristic of Classic Maya ceramics, not ancestral Pueblo pottery
- No similar concentration of elite burials has been found at other great houses in the canyon
Sources
Room 33 Revisited | Gambler's House - WordPress.comgamblershouse.wordpress.com
It focuses on Room 33, the location of the most elaborate burial assemblages ever found in the Southwest.
The Flutes of Pueblo Bonito - Flutopedia.comflutopedia.com
A room in the Northwestern part of Pueblo Bonito was found to contain eight wood flutes and other ceremonial objects, and was given the designation “Room 33” ...
DNA Offers Clues to Mysterious Crypt in Ancient Pueblonationalgeographic.com
Archaeologists who excavated Room 33 in 1896 were stunned by the richness of the burial goods, including thousands of turquoise beads, as well ...
Radiocarbon dating and DNA show ancient Puebloan leadership in ...psu.edu
... room pueblo dating between 800 and 1130 — that contained 14 burials. ... Selection of turquoise and shell artifacts found in Room 33 of Pueblo ...
Room 33-Chaco Canyon's Room With a View Into the Pastfilmfreeway.com
Room 33 is somewhat controversial in that contained the remains of what some believe to be Chaco royalty with tens of thousands of turquoise beads.
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.