Bureau of Land Management Environmental Education Feature

People in the Past, a CD-ROM program developed at the BLM Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Colorado, is a computer-based introduction to Lowry Pueblo National Historic Site and to its 12th-century occupants. The program has received rave reviews from educators as well as computer-industry professionals. "QuickTime" movies, photographs, recorded interviews with modern Pueblo people, animations, and computer-generated imagery teach archaeological analysis and introduce the cultural heritage of the "Four Corners" area: the states of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. Heritage education and enhanced appreciation of archaeology and Native American cultures are the primary goals of this project.

Users can walk among the ruins of the Pueblo as it is today, or travel in time to the year AD 1100, when residents used its rooms, rooftops, and plazas to meet the needs of their daily lives. Visitors may look into the "archaeologist's tent" to review her maps and notes, or hear the songs sung by village women grinding corn. The program relies on the user's curiosity, the thrill of discovery, and a heightened appreciation of modern and ancient Native American cultures to communicate the need to preserve what remains of the archaeological record here and elsewhere.

An interactive map of the area surrounding Lowry Pueblo National Historic Site, extracted from the CD program People in the Past.

 

The remains of 12th-century Lowry Pueblo, extracted from the CD program People in the Past. Embedded video clips of an archaeologist and a Pueblo elder offer two different perspectives on the human story of this ancient American village.

People in the Past was constructed with advice and perspectives from traditional Pueblo people, as well as an archaeologist's scientific approach. Native American interpretations emphasize the cultural significance of this site, as well as many others throughout the San Juan River Basin, as ancestral homes of today's Pueblo people. Both the archaeological and Puebloan points of view emphasize the importance of studying, interpreting, and preserving archaeological sites worldwide. A companion book, People in the Past: Classroom Activities, supports the program by using an interdisciplinary approach to reinforce the concepts presented.

Classroom activities are designed to engage, enrich, and educate students as they come to understand the processes and tools of archaeology. The activities also help to expand student appreciation of the contributions of Native American cultures, while emphasizing the importance of preserving archaeological sites as part of the heritage of these people and of our nation. Since classrooms are often populated by students of varying abilities and aptitudes, the activities are designed for groups typified by diverse instructional needs.

 

The People in the Past project was funded with grants from the Colorado State Historical Fund, a Bureau of Land Management Field Incentives Award, and the Southwest Natural and Cultural Heritage Association. In-kind contributions were provided by Living Earth Studios and Paradox Productions of Bluff, Utah. The Anasazi Heritage Center is part of BLM's Montrose District in southwestern Colorado. The museum is open 7 days a week, year round. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center is located 3 miles west of the town of Dolores on Highway 184.   The People in the Past CD is available through the center's museum shop for $24.95; with the classroom activities book, the price is $39.95. Credit card orders can be made by telephone at (970) 882-4811, x111 or to tpainter@co.blm.gov   For further information, please contact LouAnn Jacobson, Director, Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Hwy 184, Dolores, Colorado 81323, telephone (970) 882-4811, TTY (970) 882-4825, fax (970) 882-7035, e-mail: ljacobson@co.blm.gov.

A view of Lowry Pueblo's lively plaza in the autumn of the year 1125 AD, extracted from the CD program People in the Past.

 Anasazi Heritage Center website: http://www.co.blm.gov/ahc/index.htm

Mesa Verde County Tourism website:
http://www.swcolo.org/Tourism/Archaeology/AnasaziHeritageCenter.html

This page was created by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Education & Volunteers Group, 1849 C Street, Room 406-LS, Washington, DC 20240. Send comments or questions relating to accessibilty of documents to Kevin_Flynn@blm.gov Number of visitors since July 15, 2003:[an error occurred while processing this directive]

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