Ritual Use of Fauna in the Casas Grandes Region

Summary

The use of faunal remains for ritual purposes was an important part of Casas Grandes society throughout the Medio period (1200 – 1450 A.D.). The past inhabitants of this region utilized the bones of numerous animals for ritual and symbolic functions, as well as for personal adornment. Past archaeological and zooarchaeological research conducted within this region has focused significantly on the site of Paquimé and the artifacts/remains recovered from that site. This paper, although considering the importance of Paquimé and the utilization of faunal remains at that site, examines the ritual use of fauna at several small sites recently excavated throughout the core Casas Grandes region and incorporates recent faunal analyses into our understanding of animal bone usage by the prehistoric inhabitants of this area.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Moving Forward in Casas Grandes Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage