Dendroarchaeology of the Otero Cabin, Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico

Summary

The Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico has been the site of many culture group activities from prehistoric to present times due to its exceptionally resource-rich environment. During the early 20th century, profit-driven ventures left the landscape that we see today. A few families during this period were critical participants in the development of the VCNP environment. The earliest of these families was the Oteros who used land in the VCNP primarily for grazing horses, cattle, and sheep. As part of this land use, the Oteros built cabins to serve as housing for family and workers, corrals, and other outbuildings. One such structure, the Otero Cabin, is said to have been constructed in 1908, and based on historical records, is one of the oldest Euroamerican structures in the VCNP. Dendroarchaeological samples from the Otero Cabin were collected during our 2014 field season and the results are presented here. These data and resulting interpretations will provide the VCNP staff with the most recent and accurate data to be presented through interpretative tours while also informing the public about dendroarchaeological methods.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Historical Archaeology of the American West   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage