Cultural Appreciation, Week V [Wednesday, Periods 4 & 5]

[atreideslioness]

When students met on the Causeway today, they'd find Ghanima in a simple sundress, sunglasses already on and a cardboard box at her feet. "Today, we're going somewhere nice and warm," she said as their portal rippled into existence behind her. "Our destination is New Mexico's Chaco Culture National Historical Park, as well as the museum that they have on-site."

"From AD 850 to 1250, Chaco was a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area--unlike anything before or since. Chaco is remarkable for its multi-storied public buildings, ceremonial buildings, and distinctive architecture. These structures required considerable planning, designing, organizing of labor, and engineering to construct. The Chacoan people combined many elements: pre-planned architectural designs, astronomical alignments, geometry, landscaping, and engineering to create an ancient urban center of spectacular public architecture--one that still awes and inspires us a thousand years later."

"By 1050, Chaco had become the ceremonial, administrative, and economic center of the San Juan Basin. Its sphere of influence was extensive. Dozens of great houses in Chaco Canyon were connected by roads to more than 150 great houses throughout the region. It is thought that the great houses were not traditional farming villages occupied by large populations. They may instead have been impressive examples of "public architecture" that were used periodically during times of ceremony, commerce, and trading when temporary populations came to the canyon for these events."

"In the 1100s and 1200s, change came to Chaco as new construction slowed and Chaco's role as a regional center shifted. Chaco's influence continued at Aztec, Mesa Verde, the Chuska Mountains, and other centers to the north, south, and west. In time, the people shifted away from Chacoan ways, migrated to new areas, reorganized their world, and eventually interacted with foreign cultures. Their descendants are the modern Southwest Indians. Many Southwest Indian people look upon Chaco as an important stop along their clans' sacred migration paths-a spiritual place to be honored and respected."

"I've got bottled water, sunglasses, and a variety of hats in this box here, for those of you who burn easily. Grab what you need, and off we go."

[OCD up!]

Comments

Sign-In V

[atreideslioness]

It's a bright (bright!) bright sunshine-y day!

Re: Sign-In V

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

Dolf Wega

Re: Sign-In V

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

Christian

During the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Listen, chat with your classmates, pick out a hat!

Re: During the Lecture

[glacial_queen]

Well, since Ghanima had provided the hats, Karla decided she should probably grab one. Parents' Weekend was coming up and the last thing she wanted to do was start it off by having an argument about whether or not her nose was peeling.

Re: During the Lecture

[wwiii]

Well, Warren was going to just take a hat on principle, healing factor or no.

... What? It was a nice hat.

Re: During the Lecture

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla would be here for quite a while as she picked out her hat. Hats were some of her favourite things!

Re: During the Lecture

[nohaircutsplz]

A hat made Medusalith's hair feel...extremely strange. She didn't like it. But she was a redhead with pale skin from a city that had screened out all that UV nonsense she had to deal with now, and she was very sure she didn't want to experience a 'sunburn.' So she took a quite large hat and a pair of sunglasses, along with a bottle of water as there was no use in getting dehydrated.

Re: During the Lecture

[trigons_child]

Raven didn't need a hat, she just put the hood of her cloak up. Convenient!

Re: During the Lecture

[she-sheds.livejournal.com]

Joolushko had her own hat, having decided at the beginning of the term that they hid her face well enough that her somewhat alien appearance wouldn't be too easily noticeable. But she liked this one the instructor had bought more. So she switched.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

[atreideslioness]

There's a number of activities available. Grab a friend or explore by yourself, just make it back to the portal on time.

Visitor Center, Museum & Store

[atreideslioness]

The Visitor Center is open for planning your visit or checking out the museum. Books, videos, postcards, posters, tee-shirts, etc are available in the Western National Parks and Monuments operated bookstore.

Re: Visitor Center, Museum & Store

[mathletenomore.livejournal.com]

Lindsay decided to check out the museum. She was especially fascinated by the ceramics.

Re: Visitor Center, Museum & Store

[nohaircutsplz]

Medusalith explored the Visitor Center and museum, thinking all the while that, by her standards, this civilization was both extremely young and primitive, but she must be sure not to let anyone realize that. They probably wouldn't appreciate it, and it would, you know, give her away.

Re: Visitor Center, Museum & Store

[trigons_child]

Raven wandered about the museum, soaking in the culture and history.

Re: Visitor Center, Museum & Store

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby definitely wanted to wander down on one of the trails, but you always went to the museum first. Always. That way you were educated on the area and situation before exploring further.

Bobby had learned much from his mother. It was often of a geeky nature.

Re: Visitor Center, Museum & Store

[she-sheds.livejournal.com]

Joolushko headed straight for the museum. History, even of strange human civilizations, was always fascinating.

Tours!

[atreideslioness]

Go on a ranger-guided or self-guided tour of the area. Check out the Petroglyph Trail with a friend, and be sure to visit Pueblo Bonito.

Re: Tours!

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

Christian followed a ranger to the pueblo, awed at what he saw. It amazed him to think about all the people it must have taken to build something like this so long ago.

Re: Tours!

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

A self-guided tour was right up Jack's alley today. He was too focused on thinking about this weekend to care about where they were. He checked to see where Bobby was going, then walked off along one of the trails.

Talk to the TA

[atreideslioness]

If you run into her!

Re: Talk to the TA

[trigons_child]

Raven was there, and totally willing to heal any sunburns anyone might get over the course of the afternoon. Of course.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

She's around!

Re: Talk to Ghanima

[inneedofcoffee.livejournal.com]

"I think I'll need more than a hat for this class," Maladicta said, covered up far too much to enjoy anything.

OOC

[atreideslioness]

This class inspired by the fact I had to wear a sweater and a coat this morning. So not cool.