New Perspectives on Salado

Part of: Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

The widespread Salado phenomenon, largely defined by distinctive polychrome pottery, has perplexed archaeologists in the US Southwest for decades. Many current views associate this pottery with an ideology that helped integrate culturally diverse communities during the tumultuous late pre-contact period (A.D. 1250-1450). This session focuses on recent excavations and preservation efforts in southwestern New Mexico while bringing together perspectives from other regions to examine the intriguing variability and shared elements that characterize Salado communities. Examinations of architecture, ceramics, and ground and chipped stone from new excavations and past projects enrich our understanding of Salado at different spatial and temporal scales. This large data set allows for detailed consideration and debate on Salado at a synthetic level.