Often overshadowed by the Ancestral Pueblo centers at Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde, the Middle San Juan is one of the most dynamic territories in the pre-Hispani

A timely synopsis of the archaeology of the Middle San Juan region bringing recent work at Salmon Ruins into the context of thirty-five years of research there.

"Extraordinary . . . A transformative experience for the reader." —Lucy Sante "A large-hearted, wide-angled book . . . I couldn't put it down." —Ian Frazier

"The multiple, vivid colors of scarlet macaws and their ability to mimic human speech are key reasons they were and are significant to the Native peoples of the

Drawing on scholarly research and archaeological evidence, the author examines the accomplishments of the Anasazi people of the American Southwest and speculate