Recent Archaeological Research in the Upper Gila
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)
The Upper Gila cross-cuts a number of archaeological regions in Arizona and New Mexico and includes the area surrounding the Gila River and its tributaries east of the San Pedro River. The purpose of this symposium is to highlight the diversity of occupation and time depth in the region. Although the Upper Gila is rich with archaeological sites, archaeological research is lacking compared to neighboring regions. This symposium brings together researchers working throughout the Upper Gila to share their recent research efforts related to the Early Agricultural, Early Pithouse, Mimbres Late Pithouse, Classic, and Salado periods. These investigations showcase the research potential in the Upper Gila region.
Other Keywords
Upper Gila •
Borderlands •
Ceramic Analysis •
Southwest •
Salado •
early agricultural •
Woodrow Ruin •
Late Pithouse •
Preservation Archaeology
Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview •
Data Recovery / Excavation •
Architectural Documentation
Material Types
Ceramic •
Chipped Stone
Temporal Keywords
Mimbres Late Pithouse period •
Mimbres Classic period •
Mimbres Transitional Period
Geographic Keywords
North America - Southwest •
US (ISO Country Code) •
New Mexico (State / Territory) •
Arizona (State / Territory) •
United States of America (Country) •
Colorado (State / Territory) •
Utah (State / Territory) •
North America (Continent)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-5 of 5)
- Documents (5)
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Early Pithouse Period Ceramics in the Upper Gila: A Look from Winn Canyon (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
The Early Pithouse period (AD 200 to 550) is characterized by circular pithouse structures often located on isolated knolls, an abundance of undecorated brownware, and a small percentage of red-slipped ceramics generally associated with the end of the time period. Few studies have focused on these Early Pithouse period ceramics. To help fill this gap, a preliminary study was conducted on a sample of the ceramics from Winn Canyon, an Early Pithouse period site in the Cliff Valley in the Upper...
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Recent Test Excavations at an Early Agricultural Period Cerro de Trincheras Site on the Upper Gila River, Arizona (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Investigations on a cerro de trincheras site overlooking the Gila River were conducted in 2014. The Round Mountain site tentatively dates to the Early Agricultural period (2100 B.C.-A.D. 100). The 6 ha expanse of the site includes 1.9 km of constructed walls and terraces. The remains of 16 houses are defined by a constellation of rock rings in the central part of the site. Projectile points include five Tularosa corner-notched points. This style of point is associated with both Early...
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Reevaluating Mimbres Late Pithouse to Classic Period Transformations of the Upper Gila (2015)
DOCUMENT Full-Text
Professional archaeological research has been conducted in southwest New Mexico’s upper Gila valley since at least 1929, when Burt and Hattie Cosgrove completed a survey of archaeological sites. Projects of various scales have been carried out periodically since then, however minimal research has occurred at Woodrow Ruin, one of the region’s largest sites. This paper presents new information from my recent dissertation research at Woodrow Ruin that is helping to redefine the Late...
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Salado in the Upper Gila (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Salado archaeology in New Mexico was largely defined in the Upper Gila, where the regional name "Cliff phase" originated. Early work by Kidder and the Cosgroves in the 1920s and several professional and avocational projects in the 1960s-70s included important Salado sites. Despite this early promise many projects were underreported, and there has been comparatively little research with modern methods. Recent research by Archaeology Southwest addresses this gap. A strong base of survey and...
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Venturing into the Borderland: Revisiting the 13th-Century Occupation of the Upper Gila (2015)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Between the end of the Mimbres Classic period in the 12th century C.E. and the beginning of the 14th-century C.E. Cliff Phase, most of the Upper Gila region of New Mexico is thought to have been only sparsely populated if not entirely unoccupied. Recent excavation in Mule Creek has demonstrated a strong 13th-century presence in this area, however. Like the Gila Cliff Dwellings on the West Fork of the Gila, the settlements in Mule Creek show clear connections to contemporary sites in the Mogollon...