This Colorado pueblo hides the archaeological crime that shocked the 1930s

Paul Martin’s Reckless Excavation at Lowry Pueblo

Lowry Pueblo holds a dark secret from the 1930s. Paul Martin got his dream job at Chicago’s Field Museum in 1929 after being turned down elsewhere.

He then dug up the ancient site using new methods but made huge mistakes along the way. While he filmed everything, Martin left walls to fall apart in winter storms.

He tossed aside thousands of artifacts he didn’t like, keeping only 598 of 1,377 items he found. Worse yet, he destroyed the dig records – both his own and others’.

Today, Lowry Ruin stands as both treasure and cautionary tale in Colorado’s archaeological history.

The Government Told Martin "No" in 1929

The Department of Interior turned down Paul Martin’s plans to dig at Lowry Pueblo in summer 1929. They thought his employer, the State Historical Society of Colorado, lacked enough money to finish the job.

Martin had already started a ten-year research project in Montezuma County, Colorado in 1928. This rejection forced him to look for backing from a bigger organization.

The denial surprised many since Martin had built a good name among Midwestern historians and archaeologists.

Chicago’s Field Museum Gave Him a Fresh Start

On August 22, 1929, Berthold Laufer from the Field Museum offered Martin a job in their anthropology department. Martin quickly took the job with the famous museum.

The Chicago museum wanted Martin to help update their displays for their new building in Grant Park. Martin spent much time rearranging exhibits for the Century of Progress show in 1933.

By early 1930, the Field Museum got a full excavation permit from the Department of Interior, giving Martin what he needed.

Martin Brought New Digging Tricks to Lowry Pueblo

Work at Lowry Pueblo began in summer 1930 with a team ready to uncover history. Martin used modern Chicago digging methods and mining tools he learned from Cole and Morley.

He recorded everything on film to document the work. Martin focused on making a timeline to help date other sites nearby.

The team chose Lowry Pueblo because many generations had lived there, leaving behind untouched items that showed how people lived long ago.

Winter Storms Knocked Down Walls He Failed to Protect

Martin didn’t bother to support or strengthen the walls his team uncovered during their dig. These bare walls fell apart during harsh winter months when snow, ice, and wind hit the old structures.

This damage showed Martin’s carelessness about keeping the site safe. Even in the 1930s, letting walls fall down broke basic rules of archaeology.

Martin clearly cared more about fast digging than keeping the pueblo standing for future visitors.

The Team Found Amazing Treasures in Summer 1931

Summer 1931 brought great finds at Lowry Pueblo. The team dug up sixty to seventy whole pottery pieces and tons of broken pieces.

They also found bone tools and various small items used by the ancient people. Martin took about one hundred good photos to record these treasures.

Experts said these items were “unlike anything in the area,” making them very helpful for understanding the region’s old cultures.

Every Room and Kiva Got Completely Dug Up

Martin left nothing untouched between 1930-31 and 1933-34, digging up every room in the pueblo. His team found eight kivas tucked inside the room block.

They also fully dug up the separate Great Kiva, an important ceremony space. More finds in 1933 and 1934 led Martin to count five different times people lived at Lowry Pueblo.

Using tree ring dating, he figured the first people lived there around 894 A. D.

Only "Museum-Worthy" Artifacts Made the Trip to Chicago

Martin picked only the best artifacts to save and ship to Chicago. He kept only items he thought would look good in museum displays.

Other finds, even if they had science value, got written down but left behind. This habit destroyed proof that future researchers could have used.

The museum’s need for showy displays beat thorough science.

Martin cared more about items that would amaze visitors than keeping a complete set that told the whole story.

Hundreds of Artifacts Vanished Under Martin’s Watch

During the 1936 Lowry Pueblo dig, Martin wrote down details of 1,377 objects his team found. Oddly, only 598 of these items got properly listed by museum staff.

That means 779 objects simply vanished due to bad record-keeping. A 1998 count found just 520 exhibits still in the Field Museum collection.

Another 78 objects got lost through theft, throwing away by museum staff, or just went missing over time.

He Tossed Dirt Without Checking It First

Martin skipped checking dug-up dirt for small artifacts. This lazy method meant countless tiny but key items got thrown away.

While sifting dirt didn’t become standard until the 1970s, Martin’s failure to look for small items still hurt the work. Many clues about daily life, like beads, small tools, and food scraps, likely got dumped.

These lost items could have filled big gaps in our knowledge of the ancient pueblo.

Important Records Mysteriously Disappeared

Martin either lost or threw away the original dig records from Lowry Pueblo. His own field notes and papers vanished without a trace.

He also got rid of Carl Lloyd’s records from the site. According to archaeologist Stephen Nash, throwing away field notes was wrong even in the 1930s.

This loss of papers made it nearly impossible for later archaeologists to fully understand what Martin found and where he found it.

Martin Later Admitted He Dug “For Fun and Loot”

Martin’s work showed the growing pains of archaeology changing from a treasure hunt to a scientific discipline. His methods were massive in scale but deeply flawed in how he carried them out.

Collections from his 1937 and 1938 seasons fared even worse than earlier years, with more items lost or destroyed. Martin later confessed he dug “for fun, for specimens” and to “obtain goodly amount of loot.”

His work at Lowry Pueblo perfectly captures how museum archaeology often put finding cool artifacts ahead of proper scientific methods.

Visiting Lowry Ruin, Colorado

Lowry Ruin is on County Road 7. 25 in Pleasant View, part of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

You can visit for free any day and walk the quarter-mile trail with signs explaining Paul Martin’s controversial 1930s dig.

The Field Museum curator used destructive methods that hurt the site while advancing archaeology. You’ll see the massive Great Kiva that’s nearly 50 feet across, plus there’s a picnic area with tables and restrooms.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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