Birds of the Sun: Macaws, Parrots, and People
Channel: ArchaeologySouthwest
Date: 2022-05-06

On May 3, 2022, Christopher W. Schwartz (Northern Arizona University), Patricia A. Gilman (University of Oklahoma) and Stephen Plog (Professor Emeritus, University of Virginia) discussed “Birds of the Sun: Macaws, Parrots, and People.” Macaws and parrots are colorful birds generally native to areas south of the border between the US and Mexico, but they are present in numerous archaeological sites in Arizona and New Mexico, as well as at the very large site of Paquimé just south of the border in Chihuahua. Archaeologists have paid too little attention to these birds except to highlight the existence and possible importance of interactions between the peoples of Mesoamerica and the US Southwest and Mexican Northwest. This presentation focuses on recent detailed analyses of these birds and what we know about them as a result.

Learn more about this research and Archaeology Southwest in our latest magazine: https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/product/asw35-1-2/