Aztec Ruins Administrative History

Aztec Ruins National Monument was established solely to protect, preserve, and interpret a small concentration of prehistoric remains. The text that follows, therefore, emphasizes this archeological resource and the extensive measures the National Park Service has taken to prevent its natural and human-inflicted destruction and to interpret the cultural story it presents so that visitors may more fully appreciate its meaning. In addition, the site is unique among other Southwestern antiquities administered by the National Park Service in being situated in the midst of modern occupation. The interaction between the citizenry and the government also is part of this presentation.

This study and the resulting report were funded by the National Park Service under Contract No. CX 702970013 with Soil Systems, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona. Research, writing, and preparation of the draft manuscript was conducted by the authors; administrative duties and preparation of the final report were the responsibility of Soil Systems, Inc.

The authors regret not being able to discuss more fully the succession of superintendents, park rangers, and stabilizers at Aztec Ruins National Monument. Without knowledge of certain vital statistics, such as date of birth and social security number, the staff of the federal personnel records center declined to search their files for pertinent documents. Nor was an anticipated Historic Structures Report available for the review.

The study could not have been done without the generous, friendly cooperation of Aztec Ruins Superintendent Barry Cooper and his staff, Belinda Kaye and Anibal Rodriquez in the registrar's office of the Department of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History, Homer and Mary Hastings, formerly of the National Park Service, and Dr. Fred Lange, Curator of Anthropology at the University of Colorado Museum. We sincerely thank them all.

We also pay our deepest respects to the memory of a former neighbor and friend, Earl Morris. He led the way in exemplary fashion.