Isolated Human Remains from the Central Mesa Verde Region: Taphonomic Distribution Patterns Across Sites

Summary

This paper examines the taphonomic distribution of isolated human remains at several archaeological sites in southwestern Colorado, an area occupied by Ancestral Pueblo people from the A.D. 500s to around A.D. 1280. The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center defines isolated human remains as fewer than five disarticulated elements. The majority of isolated skeletal elements analyzed were recovered from Pueblo II and III (A.D. 900-1280) contexts, but earlier Basketmaker III (A.D. 500-750) contexts will also be discussed. Isolated human remains that are identifiable by element will be analyzed for their location within each site, their proximity to architectural features, and the type of matrix in which they were found. The goal is to identify any discernible patterns in the types of elements that are most often redistributed by taphonomic processes and where they are found in relation to both built structures and intact burials.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Communities through Time: Societal Continuity and Transformation in the Northern San Juan Region

Keywords

Spatial Coverage