Alkali Ridge in southeastern Utah is a major archaeological area preserving the early development of Puebloan architecture and a clear transition from dispersed pit houses to more settled agricultural communities centered on pueblos. Especially significant for the Pueblo II period, roughly 900 to 1100 CE, it is considered the type location for that era. Across its 2,340 acres, archaeologists have found a dense concentration of sites, including multi-story buildings, kivas, and intermediate forms. Its artifacts, ceramics, cacao residue, and traces of an ancient road reveal wider connections in the ancient Southwest, while its inclusion in Bears Ears reflects its continuing cultural importance.