description Patricia L. Crown Overview
Patricia L. Crown is an American archaeologist and distinguished professor at the University of New Mexico, specializing in the prehistoric cultures of the American Southwest. Her research has heavily focused on the Ancestral Puebloans, particularly in the Chaco Canyon region. She is recognized for discovering traces of cacao in ceramic vessels from Chaco, which provided evidence of trade networks with Mesoamerica.
Crown was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2014 for her contributions to anthropological archaeology.
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What is Patricia L. Crown known for researching?
Patricia L. Crown is an archaeologist known for research on Ancestral Puebloan societies in the American Southwest, especially Chaco Canyon. Her work combines archaeological context with chemical analysis of residues in ancient vessels.
What did Patricia Crown discover at Pueblo Bonito?
Residue analysis associated with her research found evidence of cacao in cylinder vessels from Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. That finding provided evidence for the consumption of cacao north of its main Mesoamerican growing regions.
Why is cacao evidence important for understanding Chaco Canyon?
Cacao suggests long-distance exchange and ceremonial drinking practices connected Chacoan society with wider regional networks. Crown’s research therefore links a specific food residue to questions about status, ritual, trade, and political relationships.
Where does Patricia L. Crown teach and conduct her research?
She is associated with the Department of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico. Her archaeological work has focused particularly on Chaco Canyon and the Ancestral Puebloans of the American Southwest.
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