Room 33 in Pueblo Bonito Great House reveals matrilineal elite with Mesoamerican trade goods. 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
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.
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
Related site: Pueblo Bonito Great House — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: How was Chaco Canyon really built? by Archaeologist Ed Barnhart