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Chronologic Outline

                                                                             

1540-1542	Coronado's party passed well to the south of the Chaco, along the old Zuñi-Acoma trail.
(1735)	Pedro de Ainza possibly explored Chaco ruins.
1776	Miera y Pacheco, with Dominguez and Escalante party, passed from Abiquiu into Utah to the north of the Chaco.
1777-1779	Miera y Pacheco maps having names "Chaca" and "Chacat."
(1831-1840)	Bare possibility of visit by Gregg to the Chaco.
1844	Gregg's Commerce of the Prairies published, with mention of a Pueblo Bonito.
1846	Captain Reid, from the Rio San Jose, and Major Gilpin, from the Rio San Juan, across to the eastern base of the Tunicha (Chuska) mountains.
1849	Simpson and Kern explored ruins of the Chaco Canyon.
(1850-1857)	Unlikely possibility that Domenech visited the Chaco.
1851	Sitgreaves passed, to the south.
1852	Simpson's Journal published, with first mention of "Chaco" and detailed description of various ruins from Pueblo Pintado to Peñasco Blanco.
1853	Whipple's party outlined the present Santa Fe railroad route, to the south.
1858	Members of Company E, R.M.R., in the Chaco Canyon.
1859	Captain Macomb and party followed Old Spanish Trail, to the north.
1860	Domenech's garbled account of the Chaco published.
1863-1864	Kit Carson rounded up Navajos, but seemingly did not enter Chaco Canyon.
1874	Lieut. R. Birnie on the middle Chaco.
1874	Dr. Oscar Loew at Pueblo Pintado.
1874	Lieut. Ruffner along the Continental Divide, to the east of Chaco.
1875	Lieut. C. C. Morrison visited Chaco ruins.
1875	Publication of Report of Chief of Engineers with appendices by Wheeler, Loew, Cope, Birnie, et al.
1877	Jackson explored the Chaco ruins.
1888	V. Mindeleff examined Chaco architecture. Charles Lummis visited the Chaco for the first time.
1890	Bickford spent eight days in the Chaco.
1893	Scott N. Morris (father of Earl Morris) trenched refuse mounds at Pueblo Bonito.
1896	R. Wetherill homesteaded at Pueblo Bonito.
1896-1899	Hyde Expedition excavations at Pueblo Bonito under Putnam and Pepper. Moorehead, Hrdlicka, Dodge, et al., worked sporadically with the expedition.
1900-1903	Prudden's small house explorations in the upper San Juan basin. Visited the Chaco several times.
1901	W. C. Farabee examined ruins in the Chaco area for Peabody Museum.
1902	E. L. Hewett visited the Chaco Canyon for the New Mexico Normal University. Mapped ruins.
1907	Chaco Canyon National Monument organized.
1915-1916	N. C. Nelson investigated refuse mounds and collected shards for the American Museum of Natural History.
1916	Fewkes explored the Crownpoint area.
1916	Reconnaissance by Hewett and Bradfield.
1920-1921	School of American Research excavation at Chetro Ketl.
1920	Judd visited Chaco Canyon.
1921-1927	National Geographic Society excavated Pueblo Bonito, under Judd. Bryan, Morris, Roberts, Ruppert, et al., were associated with this work.
1926-1927	Robert excavated Shabik'eshchee and other nearby sites.
1929-1937	School of American Research and University of New Mexico excavated sites and carried out various studies in the Chaco Canyon.