Introduction by Paul Pino (Laguna Pueblo)

The Museum is proud to present Anna Sofaer and Solstice Project research associate Rob Weiner.

Join us for an evening of exploration of the Chaco people's complex solar and lunar astronomy, including new evidence of  Chaco's dynamic ideological relationship with Mesoamerican cultures  through objects such as cacao, scarlet macaws, and copper bells. The Solstice Project's most recent findings suggest that it was the striking formations of Chaco's desert landscape that inspired the culture's remarkable cosmographic expressions of monumental architecture and enigmatic "roads.” The evening includes a preview of the Project's new  film "Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon" and new concepts regarding Chaco's regional influence across an area twice the size of Ireland.

In 1977 Anna Sofaer rediscovered the Sun Dagger site, inspiring three decades of research. Through the non-profit Solstice Project, Sofaer has coordinated interdisciplinary teams of astronomers, archaeologists, anthropologists, architects, computer animators and remote sensing experts. Their research has been published in countless scientific articles and is collected in the book "Chaco Astronomy: An Ancient American Cosmology." She produced, directed, and co-wrote the award-winning PBS documentaries "The Sun Dagger" and "The Mystery of Chaco Canyon."

Robert Weiner is a Research Affiliate with the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology at Brown University and a Research Fellow with the Solstice Project. His research focuses on the Chaco culture with particular emphasis on ritual, cosmology, archaeoastronomy, and Native oral traditions.