She participated in a survey of the Navajo Nation's reservation in the Little Colorado River basin and established the cataloging system used by the Glen Canyon Archaeological Project.

[1] Unable to afford her first choice of Smith College, Bartlett obtained her master's degree in physical anthropology from the University of Denver, studying under Etienne Bernardeau Renaud.

[7] Her scientific papers included such topics as ancient mines, artifacts, foods, history, prehistoric tools, as well as crafts of the Hopi, Navajo, and other Arizona tribes.

[8] Her article Pueblo Milling Stones of the Flagstaff Region and Their Relation to Others in the Southwest: A Study in Progressive Efficiency "has become a standard reference on groundstone food-processing technology," according to the Society for American Archaeology.

She was honored by an exhibit that appeared at the Smithsonian in 1986, entitled “Daughter of the Desert” and a 1991 recipient of the Sharlot Hall Award for her contributions to Arizona history.