Pueblo Bonito photo by William Stone
Join Anna Sofaer & The Solstice Project
Beyond our Films and Into the Canyon
Friday-Sunday
October, 4 – 6, 2024
Together, let’s explore and experience the ancient history of a complex and still mysterious culture.
Peñasco Blanco photo by Adriel Heisey
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its magnificent architecture, Chaco Canyon National Park Service has maintained its 1000-year-old sites close to their authentic original state. This unique opportunity will allow you to delve into the legacy of a brilliant civilization that once spanned 70,000 square miles across the American Southwest.
Guided by archaeologists and Puebloan educators, you will be steeped in the pristine history of a great culture, learning about its relationship to the natural world. Walk through the T shaped doorways, gaze up three-story monumental buildings made of hand-crafted stones and beams transported from fifty miles away, gaze down into great kivas with niches to signify cycles of the moon. Learn the solar and lunar alignments of the architecture, view cryptic petroglyphs, and gain insights and understandings of this ancient indigenous culture that left so many clues to its values and beliefs, but no written language.
Please RSVP by August 15 to hold your spot. Space is limited to ensure an intimate and immersive experience. To RSVP contact Mary Langdon at [email protected]
The cost:
$2400 per person
$1900 of your fee will be a tax-deductible contribution to The Solstice Project. The funds will be used to continue our research, bolster our preservation efforts, disseminate our education curriculum, and help initiate our fourth film on the extraordinary geometric patterning in Chaco’s monumental buildings.
Upon reserving your space, we will be in touch for full registration information, payment information and a detailed itinerary. Please email Mary Langdon at [email protected]
Pueblo Bonito photo by Adriel Heisey
The Trip Itinerary
The experience begins Friday at noon at the Park Campgrounds with a welcoming lunch and introduction by Anna Sofaer.
Expert Talks and Guided Tours & Starlit Conversations
The afternoon presentation will include a tour of Pueblo Bonito as featured in Written on the Landscape, and after dinner, a tour of the night sky by Davd Valentine.
On Saturday morning and afternoon, we will explore Pueblo del Arroyo, Chetro Ketl, and Casa Rinconada, view the petroglyphs, hear the sounds resonating from the canyon’s amphitheater, and learn about the connection between the Mayans of Mexico 2,000 miles away and the Chacoans.
Following dinner that evening, Richard Friedman will enhance the day’s explorations with a video presentation about the discovery of the massive roadways and their extensive reach.
Camp in Comfort
Two nights to relax in comfortable camping accommodations, all gear provided by us. Enjoy delicious food in a serene, natural setting: 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners.
Screening the film, Written on the Landscape
A private screening in Santa Fe for those joining the trip, with editor and co-writer Christopher Beaver and producer Anna Sofaer.
Transportation
From Santa Fe to the Canyon will be available for those who wish to have it for the three hour trip.
*Note: The guided trips involve moderate physical activity and walking short distances in the canyon. However, participants who want to view the canyon Great Houses from the mesa above will be guided on a separate excursion involving some climbing.
Your experts and Guides for this Once-In-A-Lifetime Excursion
- Archaeoastronomer Anna Sofaer, founder of The Solstice Project and film producer, will share her 45 years of studying Chaco astronomy and archaeology, with new evidence of the Chacoans’ intricate geometry in their monumental structures.
- Archaeologist Richard Friedman will provide an in-depth view of Chaco’s magnificent Great House architecture and enigmatic roads, showing many features he recently discovered with LiDAR.
- Cinematographer Davd Valentine, specializing in archaeoastronomy sites of the southwest, will share his expansive knowledge of the night skies, across several cultures.
- Archaeologist Dr. Rob Weiner will share his remarkable documentation of ancient ‘roads’ throughout the 70,000 square mile expanse of the Chacoan world.
- Educator Petuuche Gilbert, historian of Acoma Pueblo, who has deepened our understanding of Puebloan history with Chaco, will share his concerns and thoughts about learning from his ancestors’ relationship to Chaco.
- Mayan archaeoastronomer Alonso Mendez will talk about newly discovered connections between Chaco and Mesoamerica and deep parallels in beliefs and traditions across the border.