Murals in the Monument: Ancestral Pueblo Archaeology and
Tree-Ring Dating in the Southern Bears Ears
By Ben Bellorado
Numerous Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings dot the canyons of the new Bears Ears National Monument in Southeast Utah where arid conditions have fostered the preservation of masonry architecture, wooden roofs, and plaster building murals at many sites. Few archaeologists have studied these sites to date even though recent looting and increased visitation have impacted many of these resources. Working with the BLM, volunteer crews and I documented over 100 examples of building decorations at cliff dwellings in the area, and mapped and tree-ring dated over a dozen sites with the most well preserved examples of intact murals in the region. Analyses of this large sample of mural imagery and the contexts they decorate are helping archaeologists understand many aspects of Ancestral Pueblo community dynamics and social movements just prior to the depopulation of the region. The results of this research are helping federal and native land managers develop management and preservation strategies for the new monument, while also shedding light on importance of this area in the social histories of descendant communities throughout the region.
