The spiritual connection to land, sky, and culture.

All across the region in the mid-1100s people began to move closer to water, to each other, and - as we see at Mesa Verde - some began to move into the cliffs. These movements to water are also reflected in the need to travel great distances, to make strong bonds with different cultures, and to bring home special items – feathers, shells, turquoise, with their bright, vibrant colors, their origins near oceans and rainforests, and their tinkling sounds of rain.

In this episode of Season 3, we hear more about the metaphors associated with turquoise from Lyle Balenquah Hopi archaeologist; we hear about the use of turquoise in places like Chaco Canyon from archaeologist Patricia Crown; and we hear about a very rare artifact sometimes found in the Southwest (one closely related to turquoise) from Jonathan Till, Curator of Collections at Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum.

“We’re corn farmers by tradition, and we’re dry farmers. So moisture is a huge part of our necessity. Turquoise is an item that has that metaphor of water - the sky - because of its blue green color.”

— Lyle Balenquah, Hopi Tribe, Archaeologist

Mesa Verde Voices · Season 3 Episode 6: Trade Of Color... Turquoise

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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See Turquoise on Display

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum [Blanding, Utah]

Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum [Cortez, Colorado]

Mesa Verde National Park Visitor and Research Center

Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum [Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado]

NOTE: Some of these museums and exhibits may be temporarily closed due to COVID-19.

Copper Bell

This copper bell (on display at Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum) is one of the few of its kind found in the Southwest. These very rare items were likely created in northern Mexico and traded up into this region. Copper and turquoise form in the same environment, and both exhibit the blue green color of water.

Turquoise Pendant

This turquoise pendant can be found on display at Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum. Pendants like this one are often seen incorporated into jewelry - both in ancestral times and today.

Turquoise Shell Composite

This item is on display at the Edge of the Cedars State Park museum, and it incorporates two trade items both associated with water - turquoise and seashells.

Edge of the cedars great house and the abajo mountains (photo: kayla woodward)

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum

Edge of the Cedars State Park is located in Blanding, Utah on the site of a Chacoan Great House. The museum offers exhibits showcasing textiles, jewelry, pottery, and other representations of daily and ceremonial life for the Ancestral Pueblo people.

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Chaco Culture National Historical Park

To find more information about the collections at Chaco Culture National Historical Park - or to plan a visit - check out their website or follow on Facebook.