In the Shadow of the Rocks

Archaeology of the Chimney Rock District in Southwest Colorado

(Second Edition)

Florence C. Lister

Thirty years after the discovery of the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, the first scientific archaeological explorations in Colorado took place in a district of the upper San Juan River drainage known for a pair of prominent pinnacles called Chimney Rock. In the Shadow of the Rocks presents a comprehensive history of archaeological research performed in the district as well as new interpretations of the role of the Chimney Rock communities in regional prehistory.

This new edition brings findings up to date, with reports by current archaeological and astronomical researchers, and a new foreword by Richard Moe, president emeritus of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

From Dr. Mark Varien, research and education chairman at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center:

“Florence is one of the most respected historians of Southwest archaeology and an important researcher in her own right.”

Florence C. Lister

Florence is an archaeologist, teacher, and author living in Mancos, Colorado. For five decades she and her husband, Robert H. Lister, traveled the archaeological world and published numerous books about southwestern archaeology and ceramics. Florence has continued her research and writing in the years since her husband’s passing, rightfully earning the sobriquet the grande dame of southwestern archaeology.