This research demonstrates that people were present in the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area (CRAA) before the "Chaco System" expanded north into the region. This paper incorporates the results of a re-evaluation of site 5AA256, which was conducted during the summer of 2008. Julian Steward's model of cultural ecology is used to reconstruct the agricultural subsistence system of the resident population. The astronomical significance of Chimney Rock combined with the presence of naturally formed sediment traps provide a possible explanation for the incorporation of the eight existing communities at Chimney Rock into the Chaco system. Finally, it is suggested that the astronomical knowledge regarding the spires was present among the inhabitants of the region before the expansion of the Chaco system into the area.
