Ancient people of Chaco Canyon may have hauled logs with their noggins.

The article focuses on a study by University of Colorado Boulder physiologist Rodger Kram and undergraduate James Wilson, who tested the feasibility of using tumplines—nylon head straps with loads resting on the lower back—to transport timber as ancient people of Chaco Canyon might have done about 1,000 years ago. Chaco Canyon, located in present-day New Mexico, contains large stone structures built with timber beams sourced from forests at least 75 kilometers away, but without evidence of load-pulling animals or wheels. By recalculating the timber weights to between 85 and 140 kilograms, Kram and Wilson conducted a 25-kilometer trek carrying a ponderosa pine log with tumplines, demonstrating that such transport was physically possible within a day. While there is no direct evidence that tumplines were used for hauling logs at Chaco, their known use for carrying other items supports the hypothesis.