The Ancestral Puebloan culture’s complex astronomy reveals a legacy of scientific observation and a spiritual tradition, with its powerful impact on the Southwest.
Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon (2024) illustrates new ground-breaking research in Anna Sofaer’s exploration of the Chaco Canyon world of magnificent architecture that flourished 1,000 years ago across 70,000 square miles of the American Southwest. The third film in the Chaco Canyon trilogy – Search blends stories from indigenous and non-indigenous scholars to convey an ancient culture’s vital relevance to us today.
WATCH: Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon | PBS
NOTE: This program is available on home video for personal use only.
Please order under Home Video.
Chaco Canyon’s high-desert landscape in the American Southwest (approximately 70,000 square miles known as the Four Corners) was home to a once flourishing ancient culture with connections to Mesoamerica. Today it’s revealed in occasional physical remnants. For one, traces of their monumental architecture possess such incredible beauty and simplicity that they bring to mind the most creative of contemporary design.
The cultural flowering of this civilization began in the mid-800s and lasted more than 300 years. A unifying and expressive cosmology, especially their integration of solar and lunar cycles, was a sublime key feature of the Chacoan way of life. Archeologist Anna Sofaer has spent her life studying the Chacoan people. In the film, she serves as our guide, sharing her Solstice Project’s latest research using aerial imagery and LiDAR (lasers that measure distances and create three-dimensional models). Astronomical alignments and their connections to the landscape in the canyon are reflected in the most unpredictable ways.
WRITTEN ON THE LANDSCAPE:
Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon conveys the brilliant achievements of the Chaco civilization—many of which are in grave danger today. This new one-hour documentary reveals the astounding reach of the Chacoans across a region of the American southwest nearly twice the size of Ireland. Without modern tools, wheels or beasts of burden, these ancient people built ceremonial Great Houses and connected them to places of spiritual power with massive “roads,” remarkably straight and as wide as modern two-lane streets. The Chacoans’ feats have been long obscured in a fragile desert environment—only now to be recovered through beautiful aerial footage and with the new technology of LiDAR (aerial laser scanning) revealing the true expanse of the Chacoans’ complex world.
Filmmakers Anna Sofaer and Christopher Beaver take viewers on an exciting exploration of the minds and inspirations of this remarkable culture driven by religion and cosmology. The people emerge from a thousand years ago through new insights of archaeologists, and the words of descendant Pueblo people who hold knowledge of their ancestors to this day.
WRITTEN ON THE LANDSCAPE is the third in a series of films on the Chacoan people by Anna Sofaer who came across the Sun Dagger in 1977 and has spent the rest of her life exploring its significance. The previous films, The Sun Dagger and The Mystery of Chaco Canyon , were narrated by Robert Redford and produced by The Solstice Project for PBS. Ancient Observatories: Chaco Canyon
Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon – Preview
Grade Level: 5 – 12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2024 Copyright Date: 2024
DVD ISBN: 1-961192-21-7
| Reviews “This ethereal and educational film takes viewers through the intricacies of long-standing mysteries that surround Chaco Canyon and discusses how knowledge of astronomy and the sacred was interwoven with its architecture. The film’s collection of stunning imagery combined with flawless narration and insightful commentary from Puebloan descendants creates an experience that leaves viewers wondering about the history of the site, yet peculiarly satisfied that we are ever-so-closer to deciphering aspects of the culture that have long remained an enigma.”Tracy Loe, Editor, American Archaeology magazine “This film is a journey not only through history but through the very soul of a land and its people.”Robert Redford “We have no idea how their thinking went, unless you look at astronomy. Anna Sofaer’s film, Written on the Landscape, is the finest documentary film ever produced about the Chaco Culture. She gives a sweeping and beautiful account of the ancestor’s footprints as written on the landscape.”Phillip Tuwaletstiwa, Member of the Hopi Tribe, Former Deputy Director of the National Geodetic Survey, NOAA “Eye-opening…The Solstice Project’s first two films, The Sun Dagger and The Mystery of Chaco Canyon provided inspirations to my indigenous way of teaching. Written On the Landscape connects previous research and develops a deeper understanding of Chaco. Indigenous cultures related to the Chaco world practice their daily activities through what was learned in the Chaco Canyon and yet the Chaco culture is still a mystery to all.”Kirby Gchachu, educator, Zuni Pueblo “Extraordinarily beautiful and deeply compelling, and brings us tantalizingly close to understanding the mystery of Chaco’s cosmology. I was struck by the Pueblo speaker’s warning toward the end of the film about the danger of human efforts to harness nature, and the parallel between the fate of the Chaco people and the likely fate of our world today.”John Shattuck, Professor of Practice in Diplomacy, Tufts University, former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor “This visually arresting film presents emerging and, in many ways, revolutionary ideas about Chaco Canyon. Diverse voices contemplate relationships between places, human creations, the earth and the sky, revealing the depth and insight of indigenous philosophy and the fundamental dialog between knowledge and power. Stunning footage and ingenious animations convey these points in accessible and inspiring ways. At once grand and intimate, Written on the Landscape conveys the poetry, wisdom and experience of the Chaco World for the benefit of people today, and tomorrow.”Scott Ortman, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Director, Center for Collaborative Synthesis in Archaeology, University of Colorado-Boulder “This is a rich, visually engaging investigation of the sophisticated astronomical knowledge at the center of a cosmological system built by the Chacoan peoples, embodied in architecture arranged in relation to the land and in material culture left behind. The documentary places the known and unknown about the Chaco of the first millennium in context with descendant Puebloan peoples – these are the communities with the knowledge and insight to interpret the past. Written on the Landscape has a message important for the classroom and a general audience.”Ross Frank, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, University of California-San Diego “Building upon many of the remarkable astro-archaeological discoveries showcased in the documentary, The Mystery of Chaco Canyon, this new film also illuminates intriguing connections between the ancient Chacoans in what is today northwestern New Mexico and the Mayans in Mesoamerica. Not only did the Chacoans trade with their neighbors to the south, but they also had a similarly stratified society where elites oversaw the sprawling Chacoan complex. Written on the Landscape underscores impressive cultural advancements in pre-Columbian North America and is a great teaching tool, ideal for classroom use.” Bradley Shreve, Editor, Tribal College Journal PlanetQuest Education | https://chacomysterycontinues.com/ |
A full moon rises from behind the San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado on Dec. 15, 2005. Chimney Rock (right pinnacle) and Companion Chimney (left pinnacle) frame the moon when viewed from the site of the Ancestral Puebloan ruin (foreground) at the time of the full moon nearest the winter solstice when the moon is at its major northern standstill, which occurs every 18.6 years (and is the case in this photograph).
This phenomenon is believed to be associated with the time and place of the construction of the pueblo, which dates from the late 11th century A.D. This site is now a national monument. Adriel Heisey/Courtesy the Solstice Project.
The third film in the Solstice Project’s trilogy,
Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon, delves deeper into the remarkable world of Chaco Canyon, known for its magnificent architecture that flourished 1,000 years ago across an immense high desert of the American Southwest.
This film unveils Anna Sofaer and the Solstice Project’s latest research, revealing how astronomical alignments and their connections to the sacred landscape in the central canyon are mirrored throughout the Chaco world. With aerial imagery, precise surveying, and LiDAR technology, the research uncovers a Chacoan region extending from Chaco Canyon across 70,000 square miles of the American Southwest – a vast high desert known as the Four Corners.
The film expands our understanding of the culture’s reach of ritual architecture and enigmatic ‘roads’ across this region and explores its connections with Mesoamerica.
Insights from Puebloan advisers and new understandings of Mesoamerican parallels shed light on the symbolic power of cardinal directions, the interplay of vertical and horizontal axes, ritual roads, cacao, shells, spirals, and the sun and moon.
As the journey unfolds and highlights Pueblo Bonito as a significant ritual center and powerful hub to the larger region, the depth of the Chacoan people’s knowledge and ingenuity affirms their legacy as pioneers of scientific observation and spiritual integration.
The film also serves as a call to protect this ancient heritage from environmental degradation and continuing threats of energy extraction.
Written on the Landscape showcases the enduring genius of the Chaco people, leaving audiences in awe of their advanced engineering skills and profound astronomical knowledge, applied in acts of spiritual devotion. Puebloan participants in the film affirm their historical connections with Chaco Canyon and the larger region, giving insights into the spiritual significance of the Chacoan people’s remarkable achievements.“Our partnership with New Mexico PBS over the past twenty five years has enabled The Solstice Project to introduce many thousands of people across the state to the great mysteries and unequivocal brilliance of the Chacoan people who created this magnificent community.” – Anna Sofaer, Founder, The Solstice Project
Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon, will air on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1, at 7 p.m. Thursday and on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.4, at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 21. Interested viewers can also stream it free on the PBS app. The Mystery Of Chaco Canyon | KPBS Public MediaChaco Canyon and the Chaco Phenomenon
Country music legend Patsy Cline was a trailblazer in her genre:
Paving the way for artists who followed in her footsteps.
This GREAT PERFORMANCES presents “Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight,” a star-studded concert filmed at the historic Ryman Auditorium, Patsy’s home stage in Nashville, to celebrate her life, legacy and music.
The concert features artists from numerous genres like country, pop, rock, gospel, bluegrass including Wynonna Judd, Ashley McBryde, Grace Potter, Beverly D’Angelo, Crystal Gayle, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Mickey Guyton, Kristin Chenoweth, Rita Wilson, Natalie Grant, Kellie Pickler, Pam Tillis, Tigirlily Gold, Reyna Roberts, Tami Neilson, Tiera Kennedy, Mandy Barnett, Annie Bosko, The Isaacs and Home Free.
The celebration features archival interviews and commentary from fellow artists and those who knew Patsy including her husband, Charlie Dick, and friends like Loretta Lynn, Dottie West, Roy Clark, Harlan Howard and Owen Bradley.
Watch Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight | Great Performances Season 52 | PBS SoCal
Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight | Great Performances | THIRTEEN.
Song List:
“Walkin’ After Midnight” – Mickey Guyton
“Three Cigarettes in An Ashtray” – Tami Neilson
“Always” – Crystal Gayle
“Big City Small Town Girl” – Rita Wilson
“I’ve Loved and Lost Again” – Reyna Roberts
“Too Many Secrets” – Beverly D’Angelo
“Strange” – Grace Potter
“So Wrong” – Pam Tillis
“How Can I Face Tomorrow” – Tigirlily Gold
“Sweet Dreams” – Wynonna
“Leavin’ On Your Mind” – Ashley McBryde
“I Fall To Pieces” – Kristin Chenoweth
“Back In Baby’s Arms” – Tiera Kennedy
“Seven Lonely Days” – Home Free
“You’re Stronger Than Me” – Annie Bosko
“The Woman I Am” – Kellie Pickler
“You Belong To Me” – The Isaacs
“Just a Closer Walk with Thee” – Natalie Grant
“Why Can’t He Be You” – Mandy Barnett
“She’s Got You” – Rita Wilson
“Imagine That” – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
“Crazy” – Wynonna