"This film is a journey not only through history but through the very soul of a land and its people." Robert Redford

WRITTEN ON THE LANDSCAPE: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon conveys to viewers 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, wheel or beast 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.



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 the 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