The Bonito Factor: How Unique Was Pueblo Bonito?

Abstract

Pueblo Bonito is the largest and most centrally located great house in Chaco Canyon. One of its most striking attributes is its abundance of “exceptional deposits” of rare and unusual objects. It is unclear, however, whether Pueblo Bonito's assemblage reflects its unique status in the Chaco world or whether it is a product of sampling bias. To answer this question, we use binomial probabilities to interpret the significance of both finding, and of failing to find, exceptional deposits in other great houses. Our analysis suggests that excavated great houses can be grouped into three categories with respect to exceptional deposits: those that likely contain frequencies comparable to Pueblo Bonito; those with frequencies substantially less than Pueblo Bonito; and those that have been insufficiently sampled to make strong inferences. Variation and uncertainty in the presence of exceptional deposits have important implications for interpreting great house functions and Chacoan sociopolitical organization.