Black Mesa Archaeological Project (BMAP) 1981 & 1982

(Southern Illinois University)

It sometimes seems like half the North American archaeologists of my generation worked on the Black Mesa Archaeological Project (or BMAP), in the northeast corner of Arizona, at one time or another. (Many of the remainder worked on the Delores Archaeological Project, or DAP, in southwest Colorado). The largest field project in North America in the mid-1980s, BMAP involved hundreds - including archaeologists from all over the US, and Navajo and Hopi from the region - and spanned prehistory, historical archaeology, ethnohistory, and ethnology.

The impetus and funding for this massive research undertaking was the large scale destruction of the landscape of Black Mesa (south of Kayenta) and its rich cultural resources by enormous open-pit coal mines operated by Peabody Coal. The coal was transported as slurry in a pipeline to power the distant Mohave Generating Station in Laughlin, NV. The use of groundwater to transport the coal was highly controversial and the Mohave plant emitted the highest levels of pollutants of any generating station in the western states. The operation inspired part of the Monkey Wrench Gang, by Edward Abbey. The mine closed in 2005. Although Peabody requested - and received - permission to reopen it, permission was revoked by the court in 2010 because it did not meet requirements of the Environmental Policy Act.

I spent two summers on the BMAP project, along with fellow students who remain professional colleagues today. I also met my wife, Margaret, there. The landscape was beautiful, the archaeology fascinating, and the gnats unspeakably horrible. The project was particularly amazing from an organizational perspective, with a tent city, dining facilities, labs, and dozens of ports-potties overseen by a complex administrative hierarchy. Given the size and scope, it ran surprisingly well–a tribute to the directors. I’ve only included a few of my many slides, but hopefully it gives some idea of the BMAP project and the cultural and natural landscape in which it was set.

Barton, C. M., Gilman, P., & Cushman, D. (1983). Arizona D: 11: 2098. In D. L. Nichols & F. E. Smiley (Eds.), Excavations on Black Mesa, 1981: a descriptive report. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University.

Barton, C. M., Stone, G. D., & Cunningham, A. (1984). Arizona D: 11: 2038; Arizona D: 11: 2052. In D. L. Nichols & F. E. Smiley (Eds.), Excavations on Black Mesa, 1982: a descriptive report. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University.

1981 season

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• 05
• 06
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• 08
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• 11
• 12
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• 15

1982 season

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• 20
• 21
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• 29
• 30
• 31
• 32
• 33
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• 35
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Image Captions and Locations

Image#	Caption	Coordinates	Location
01	the Colorado Plateau and San Francisco Peaks	35.519932˚ N, 111.37115˚ W	Wupatki National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Flagstaff, Coconino, Arizona, United States
02	Sunset crater on the Colorado Plateau	35.364175˚ N, 111.50405˚ W	Sunset Crater, Sunset Crater, Flagstaff, Coconino, Arizona, United States
03	the landscape on Black Mesa, AZ	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
04	the first farmers (Basket Maker II) left their hand prints in a rock shelter	36.632221˚ N, 110.45069˚ W	Long House Valley, Long House Valley, Shonto Community Post Office, Navajo, Arizona, United States
05	and they left images	36.632221˚ N, 110.45069˚ W	Long House Valley, Long House Valley, Shonto Community Post Office, Navajo, Arizona, United States
06	subsistence became increasingly dependent on maze agriculture	37.230873˚ N, 108.46184˚ W	Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mancos, Montezuma, Colorado, United States
07	successful farming encouraged communities to grow	37.230873˚ N, 108.46184˚ W	Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mancos, Montezuma, Colorado, United States
08	but ultimately the land could not support the population and the region was abandoned (Hovenweep National Monument)	37.383762˚ N, 109.0726˚ W	Hovenweep National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Monticello, San Juan, Utah, United States
09	a few communities managed to survive and thrive (Hope Mesas)	35.916401˚ N, 110.6586˚ W	Second Mesa, Navajo, Arizona, United States
10	new Athabascan peoples colonized the empty land (Navaho Hogan)	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
11	The BMAP project was to identify and save cultural properties before they were swallowed by Peabody Coal mines	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
12	the largest archaeological project in the country in the 1980s (ready to leave for the sites in the morning)	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
13	preparing for the day’s fieldwork	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
14	In a sea	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
15	local Navajo and Hopi worked with the BMAP team	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
16	starting a trench	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
17	a lot to excavate in a deep pit house	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
18	we excavated all the way to the bottom	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
19	the screening goes all day	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
20	floor features in a deep pit house	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
21	stone-lined pit house	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
22	timber-lined pit house	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
23	chimney for a deep pit house	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
24	surface jacal houses adjoined deep pit houses	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
25	storage cists held corn and beans for the winter	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
26	is there really something here? (Dana Anderson, Pat Gilman, & David Cushman)	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
27	it’s a Basket Maker shallow pit house	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
28	regular site tours let us see what other teams were doing	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
29	Do they know what to do with fry bread? (end	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
30	this is how fry bread is supposed to be made	36.503651˚ N, 110.42538˚ W	Black Mesa, AZ, Black Mesa, AZ, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
31	BMAP vicitnity: Marble Canyon bridge	36.815498˚ N, 111.6377˚ W	Marble Canyon, Coconino, Arizona, United States
32	BMAP vicitnity: Grand Canyon north rim	36.210538˚ N, 112.06128˚ W	North Rim, North Rim, Fredonia, Coconino, Arizona, United States
33	BMAP vicitnity: White House at Canyon de Chelle	36.1437˚ N, 109.3546˚ W	Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Chinle, Apache, Arizona, United States
34	BMAP vicitnity: Canyon de Chelle	36.1437˚ N, 109.3546˚ W	Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Chinle, Apache, Arizona, United States
35	BMAP vicitnity: Wupatki National Monument	35.519932˚ N, 111.37115˚ W	Wupatki National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Flagstaff, Coconino, Arizona, United States
36	BMAP vicitnity: Wupatki National Monument	35.519932˚ N, 111.37115˚ W	Wupatki National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Flagstaff, Coconino, Arizona, United States
37	BMAP vicitnity: Wupatki National Monument (Chris Downum and Jane Dogene [?])	35.519932˚ N, 111.37115˚ W	Wupatki National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Flagstaff, Coconino, Arizona, United States
38	BMAP vicitnity: Hovenweep National Monument	37.383762˚ N, 109.0726˚ W	Hovenweep National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Monticello, San Juan, Utah, United States
39	BMAP vicitnity: Hovenweep National Monument (Margaret & Deb Olszewski)	37.383762˚ N, 109.0726˚ W	Hovenweep National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Monticello, San Juan, Utah, United States
40	BMAP vicitnity: Hovenweep National Monument (Margaret)	37.383762˚ N, 109.0726˚ W	Hovenweep National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Monticello, San Juan, Utah, United States
41	BMAP vicitnity: Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Monument	37.166966˚ N, 108.47362˚ W	Cliff Palace, Cliff Palace, Mancos, Montezuma, Colorado, United States
42	BMAP vicitnity: Mesa Verde National Monument	37.230873˚ N, 108.46184˚ W	Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mancos, Montezuma, Colorado, United States
43	BMAP vicitnity: Betatikin Ruins, Navajo Natoinal Monument	36.685218˚ N, 110.53644˚ W	Navajo National Monument, Navajo National Monument, Shonto Community Post Office, Navajo, Arizona, United States
44	BMAP vicitnity: Betatikin Ruins, Navajo Natoinal Monument	36.685218˚ N, 110.53644˚ W	Navajo National Monument, Navajo National Monument, Shonto Community Post Office, Navajo, Arizona, United States
45	BMAP vicitnity: Betatikin Ruins, Navajo Natoinal Monument	36.685218˚ N, 110.53644˚ W	Navajo National Monument, Navajo National Monument, Shonto Community Post Office, Navajo, Arizona, United States
46	BMAP vicitnity: Betatikin Ruins, Navajo Natoinal Monument	36.685218˚ N, 110.53644˚ W	Navajo National Monument, Navajo National Monument, Shonto Community Post Office, Navajo, Arizona, United States
47	BMAP vicinity: Baby Rocks	36.775279˚ N, 110.00901˚ W	Baby Rocks, Baby Rocks, Kayenta, Navajo, Arizona, United States
48	BMAP vicinity: Elephants Feet
49	BMAP vicinity: the world famous Jack Rabbit Trading Post (Margaret, Peggy Trachte, Deb Olszewski)34.968019˚ N, 110.43087˚ W		Jack Rabbitt Trading Post, Jack Rabbitt Trading Post, Winslow, Navajo, Arizona, United States