Plant Tales from Pueblo Bonito, Room 28

Author(s): Susan Smith; Karen Adams

Year: 2018

Summary

The plant record of Room 28 is filtered through a complex stratigraphy composed of early excavation backfill from adjacent rooms, Room 28 features and floor, and below to an older surface. Plant specimens from 11 macrobotanical, 7 flotation, 10 maize cob samples, and 13 pollen samples reveal an exceptionally rich record of the resources valued and used by Pueblo Bonito people. Their reliance on maize registers strongly, supplemented by a mix of native foods including pinyon nuts, cacti, cattail, and small-seeded annuals. Imported Douglas fir wood, identified from charcoal, provides perspective into Chacoan connections with regional landscapes where special resources were obtained through trade or community efforts.

Cite this Record

Plant Tales from Pueblo Bonito, Room 28. Susan Smith, Karen Adams. Presented at The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Washington, DC. 2018 ( tDAR id: 444050)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Spatial Coverage

min long: -123.97; min lat: 37.996 ; max long: -101.997; max lat: 46.134 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20224