Casas Grandes: Addressing Key Issues of Chronology, Culture Change, Social Organization, and Exchange

Casas Grandes, also known as Paquimé, was one of the largest and most complex sites in northwest Mexico. The culture is characterized by a unique blend of Southwest and Mesoamerican traits, yet it has received far less scholarly attention when compared to its neighbors to the north and south. As such, there are a number of critical issues that require further investigation, including site and regional chronology, settlement and exchange patterns, relationships with outside groups, and the nature of the site itself. The papers in this symposium address these key areas of deficiency through a variety of methodological techniques, including radiocarbon dating, ceramic and lithic analyses, XRF, biodistance and stable isotope analyses. In so doing, this symposium provides new insight into the prehistory of Casas Grandes, as well as its relationship to surrounding regions.