North America - Southwest (Geographic Keyword)
26-50 (899 Records)
The Pajarito Plateau of northern New Mexico has been a place of significant archaeological study for over one hundred years. Situated just north of Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is situated on 25,395 acres of the northern Pajarito Plateau, 90.9% of which has been surveyed for heritage resources, LANL manages over 2,000 archaeological sites, 1,505 of which are affiliated with the Ancestral Pueblo culture. This study has two primary objectives: the first is to...
Ancestral Ties During a Period of Social Upheaval, An Example from the Early Classic Period in the Tucson Basin (2017)
The transition to the early Classic Period (ca. A.D. 1100-1300) in the Tucson Basin has its roots in the disintegration of long-lived pre-Classic Period (ca. A.D. 500-1100) villages in the 11th century. The break-up of these villages engendered a variety of responses among the constituent social groups including the use of ancestral ties to place, real or constructed, to stake claims to land. Early Classic period settlement at the site of AA:12:46 begins during the fluid period immediately...
An ancient mitochondrial DNA approach to explore pre-Columbian inhabitants ancestry at Paquimé, Casas Grandes (2016)
The genetic analysis of different periods in specific spatial territories could contribute to understand patterns of interactions for pre-Columbian populations that lived in northwest Mexico. Especially for those sites that show debated cultural traits such as Paquimé, the use of all possible bioarchaeological approaches may be key to identify their population ancestry, affinities, and to evaluate possible migrants origin. This research analyzes ancient mitochondrial DNA, HVI and HVII, of 14...
Ancient, Modern, and Post-Modern: Pueblo Mural Painting of the Southwestern U.S. (2015)
Over a period of centuries between about AD 1000 and 1540, Ancestral Pueblo communities in what is now the southwestern U.S. developed elaborate, iconic mural painting traditions. The most detailed and best-known murals were excavated in kivas (ceremonial structures) at the sites of Awat’ovi and Kawayka’a on the Hopi Mesas, Arizona, and at Pottery Mound and Kuaua near Albuquerque, New Mexico. These murals not only express ritual and worldview in the 15th century but inspire contemporary artwork...
Animal symbolism in the rock art of the Sonoran Desert (2015)
Abstract In this paper we propose a line of interpretation referred to the symbolism attributed to the zoomorphic figures, present in the rock art of the Sonoran Desert. We confront the results of rock art analysis and classification with a systematic study of the myths and legends of the Uto-aztecan cultural groups that lived in the region, when Europeans arrived. We pay special attention to the traditions of the O’odham, who inhabited the Sonoran Desert where we can find the rock art that...
The Animals of Pueblo Ritual: Faunal Analysis of a Kiva from Pot Creek Pueblo, NM (2017)
This poster reports on the analysis of the faunal remains from a D-shaped kiva in use during the late 1200s or early 1300s at Pot Creek Pueblo in the northern Rio Grande region of New Mexico. The kiva was decommissioned in a highly ceremonial manner with both human and animal interments, as well as a variety of additional animal offerings on the floor. Additional animal deposits in the fill of the kiva, suggesting the continued use of the space as a receptacle for offerings. Close analysis of...
Anshe Ky’an’a and Zuni Traditions of Movement (2017)
After the Zuni people emerged into this present world from Ribbon Falls in the Grand Canyon, they set out on a centuries-long journey in search of their spiritual and physical destination, Idiwana. During their travels, the Zuni people split into groups and moved in different directions, forming medicine societies, acquiring song and prayers, and gaining knowledge about the environment that would become the core of their cultural practices into the present. As such, the places of Zuni’s past...
Antelope Cave and Far Western Anasazi Lifeways of the Virgin River Region (2015)
The dry deposits of Antelope Cave on the Uinkaret Plateau in northwestern Arizona have yielded a rich artifact assemblage and abundant faunal and botanical remains dating to the late Archaic, Basketmaker II, and especially late Pueblo I/early Pueblo II times,. The collections recovered through archaeological work provide especially useful insights into Ancestral Puebloan life in this region. These activities include rabbit drives for food and the production of rabbit skin textiles, sandal repair...
Anthropogenic Effects on Soil Quality of the Las Capas Irrigation System (2015)
A soil quality study was conducted at the Las Capas site to document and evaluate the soil productivity and hydraulic soil properties of this ancient agricultural irrigation complex. This site presents an unprecedented opportunity to study the complete configuration and evolution of the oldest irrigation system documented in the Southwest to date. Mechanical stripping permitted earthen berms around small field grids to be identified so that soil samples could be collected in relation to nearby...
Apache use of a sacred site. Oral history of Apache Elders. (2015)
The area known as Fossil Creek in Central Arizona is of significant cultural importance to the Western Apache people. It is known to them as Tu’dotłiz (TWO DOE CLIZ), or "blue water." Tu’dotłiz is associated with the Dilzhę́’é (Tonto Apache) creation story, and a clan origin location imbued with ancient placenames. It is a venue for ceremonies, home of the Gảản (Apache mountain spirits), a source of holy water and herbs, and place where prominent Apache historical figures once lived. As one...
The Applicability of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS): A Case Study of Sourcing Ceramics in the Northern Mimbres Area (2017)
The use of Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) has been the primary technique for ceramic sourcing studies within archaeology for the last several decades. Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is an atomic emission spectroscopy technique that provides archaeologists with a time and cost effective alternative to NAA. LIBS has been used by the author on a large sample of corrugated sherds originating from two Classic Mimbres sites within the Gila National Forest of New Mexico in an attempt to...
Applications Of Machine Learning To Classification And Analysis Of Southwestern US Ceramic Designs (2017)
Recent advances in hardware and software have made implementation of advanced machine learning algorithms for image classification and analysis faster and more accessible. We demonstrate the applicability of machine learning to the classification and analysis of common decorated ceramic types from Northern Arizona. Both supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms are used to investigate standard ceramic typologies, as well as design/temporal similarities/differences between different ceramic...
Applying the Principles of MATRIX in the Real World (2015)
In 2001, the SAA received a National Science Foundation grant to revise undergraduate archaeology curriculum to reflect the needs of archaeologists in today’s world. As part of this grant, seven principles were developed: (1) discuss the importance of stewardship, (2) take into account the diverse pasts of stakeholders, (3) articulate the social relevance of the past, (4) include a consideration of archaeological ethics and values, (5) teach effective written and oral communication, (6) provide...
Applying ZooMS to Gault Site Faunal Material: Identifying the Unidentifiable and the Case for Database Expansion (2017)
The Gault site is a well-known Clovis-age occupation site in Texas, with further evidence of pre-Clovis activity. In addition to an abundance of lithic artifacts, the site has yielded thousands of faunal remains. Unfortunately, the taphonomic processes to which these bones have been subjected have resulted in the vast majority of them being morphologically unidentifiable beyond small, medium, and large mammal. This greatly restricts researchers’ abilities to understand the human-environmental...
ArcBurn: Measuring Fire Vulnerability in Southwestern Landscapes (2015)
How can the archaeological record be used as a chronicle of prehistoric forest fires? How do cultural resource managers today evaluate the potential impacts of wildland fires? The "ArcBurn" project, funded by the Joint Fire Science Program, is a collaboration among archaeologists, fire scientists, forest ecologists, and fire managers. This project was created to develop hard data on fire effects to ensure that the best science is effectively and appropriately used to guide management plans, and...
The Archaeobotany of Kelley Cave (41VV164): A Glimpse of Prehistoric Plant Use in the Lower Pecos Region of Texas (2015)
Sheltered sites in the Lower Pecos region of Texas are renowned for their spectacular plant preservation. Recent excavations in Kelley Cave (41VV164) in Eagle Nest Canyon yielded abundant well-preserved plant remains within Feature 4, a large pit thought to represent an earth oven facility with a complex history of use and abandonment. Most of the plant materials from Feature 4 probably represent the accumulation of waste products of plant foods prepared in other nearby earth ovens, intermingled...
Archaeological Adhesives in the American Southwest (2017)
The ancient cultures of the American Southwest used various plant and insect exudates as adhesives in a range of artifacts, including mosaic plaques, arrows, wooden tools, and in pottery as a repair and sealant. The conservation department at the Arizona State Museum surveyed the adhesives used in the Pottery and Archaeological Perishable Collections, analyzing over 100 objects that included every major cultural group in the Southwest sourced to 35 different archaeological sites. Identification...
Archaeological Chemists & Chemical Archaeologists: Working Together in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands, TX (2017)
This research is a collaboration between chemists and archaeologists to study the ancient mural paintings of the Lower Pecos. Using two independent methods, we are able to provide reliable age estimates for rock paintings. To obtain direct dates, we oxidize organic material in paint layers using plasma oxidation followed by accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating. For minimum and maximum ages, we isolate calcium oxalate in overlying and underlying accretion layers for combustion and...
Archaeological Collaboration in North America: Are "Benefits" to American Indian Communities truly being maximized? (2015)
With the continued evolution of collaborative archaeological projects between American Indian communities and archaeologists in North America archaeologists are constantly speculating ways in which their research will benefit American Indian communities. However, do archaeological research goals and agendas truly and positively contribute to the wants and needs of tribal communities involved? This paper examines various case studies in reference to collaborative archaeological projects in North...
Archaeological Implications of Vegetation Shifts in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert (2015)
Modern climate and ecological data from the Northern Chihuahuan Desert suggests that precipitation is temporally and spatially localized leading to pulses of plant production. Regional paleo-environmental models have been developed that focus on large temporal and spatial scales. These scales obscure short-term human adaptation within this region. We present a study of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of bone collagen from leporids that can provide a high-resolution proxy for aspects of the...
Archaeological Investigations at the Elk Ridge Site, Mimbres Valley, New Mexico (2016)
Recent excavations conducted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in conjunction with the Gila National Forest Service took place at the Elk Ridge Ruin, a large Classic period (AD 1000-1150) pueblo in the Mimbres River Valley, New Mexico. This project was done as part of mitigation efforts to protect the site from flood waters in an arroyo that cut through the western portion of the site. Excavations were done in three pueblo rooms that were positioned along the arroyo cut and were the most...
Archaeological Site Distribution in Relation to Soils and Geomorphic Characteristics in Dune Landscapes in Northeastern Arizona (2016)
The Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona contains abundant archaeology sites located in dune settings. Archaeological research in the area has shown apparent correlation between archaeological site locations and dune geomorphology, suggesting that prehistoric inhabitants frequently targeted dunes for habitation sites. It has been proposed that this relationship may be due to extensive use of dune soils for agriculture. This paper investigates soils and geomorphology of dune...
Archaeological Topography: Comparing Digital Photogrammetry Taken with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) versus Standard Surveys with Total Stations (2015)
This paper addresses how Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are used as a platform to produce accurate topographic maps with a considerable reduction in time and costs associated with fieldwork when compared with a total station. For this study, data was collected in the controlled environment of a mapping course to compare the procedures and time required to train archaeology students in the operation of a total station versus the operation of a small UAV equipped with digital cameras. An...
Archaeology and Heritage in the United States (2015)
In this paper we consider how the State, through law and practice, affects United States archaeologists’ abilities to conduct innovative, humanistic research in the context of cultural resource management (CRM) and may become an impediment to inclusive heritage-management practices. CRM is, perhaps, best known for its accumulation of collections and data and its ability to answer middle-range-theory questions that remain broadly ecological in scope. Here, we consider how CRM can better...
Archaeology at the Head of Canal System 2, Phoenix, Arizona (2015)
Recently, Desert Archaeology, Inc. has had opportunity to conduct several archaeological projects for the City of Phoenix west and northwest of the Park of Four Waters, near where the main trunk canals that fed prehistoric Canal System 2 originate and diverge from the Salt River. Seven of these trunk canals have been encountered, along with numerous distribution and lateral canals, water control and catchment structures, seasonal and semi-permanent habitations, and the first irrigated Hohokam...