Written in stone

In the scorching heat of June in 1977, atop a butte in Chaco Canyon, researcher and educator Anna Sofaer made a discovery that would unravel the astronomy of ancient America. Sofaer, who at the time was a volunteer recording rock art at a site known as Fajada Butte, noted three seemingly innocent stone slabs leaning against a cliff. However, at about 11:15 a.m. on the summer solstice, she witnessed nothing short of magic: the slabs channeled a "dagger of light" through the larger of two petroglyph spirals on the cliff. Sofaer had rediscovered the astronomical marvel known as the “Sun Dagger,” used to mark the solstice and equinox and perhaps the most famous site in Chaco.

Sofaer went on to found the nonprofit Solstice Project, which over the last four decades has helped unravel the mysteries etched in the landscape of Chaco. In that time, she has made three documentaries on Chaco, the latest of which, “Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon,” will make its Colorado premier at 7 p.m., Fri., June 7, at the Community Concert Hall. The free showing is sponsored by the San Juan Basin Archeological Society and will be introduced by Southwest writer Craig Childs. The film’s national premiere will be on New Mexico PBS at 7 p.m., June 20. 

“Visiting with Puebloan descendants has deepened my knowledge and inspired me through the years,” Sofaer said. “They have encouraged our research into the science of their ancestors and offered sensitive insights into their historical and spiritual connections with Chaco. It is their insights that create the story of our new film.” 

Hailed as an astronomical marvel comparable to the pyramids and Stonehenge, the Sun Dagger unveiled the profound scientific knowledge of the Chacoan culture. Flourishing 1,000 years ago, Chaco Canyon served not just as a trade center but a center of astronomy, where the landscape itself spoke the language of an ordered universe. 

“Written on the Landscape” continues the exploration of the Chaco world using imagery, precise surveying and LiDAR to document the immensity of the Chaco world, which extends from the heart of Chaco Canyon across 70,000 square miles of the Four Corners. 

The film not only reaffirms the Chacoan peoples’ legacy as pioneers of scientific observation and spiritual integration but also serves as call to protect this ancient resource from resource extraction and irresponsible use.