Ceremonially and Ritually Associated Archaeofaunal Remains from Two Sites Near Wide Ruins, Arizona

Summary

Zooarchaeological analyses of faunal bone assemblages often focus on the role of animals in human diet and subsistence and as sources of raw materials. Yet animals also fill social and symbolic roles in human societies, and ceremonially and ritually associated archaeofaunal remains have significant interpretive potential. Recognizing the special emphasis accorded to certain animals and their remains and the social factors that shape faunal bone assemblages permits explanation within broader frames of reference that transcend strictly utilitarian-centered interpretations. Investigations conducted by Northland Research, Inc. at two sites near the community of Wide Ruins, Arizona on the Navajo Nation recovered ceremonially or ritually associated taxa. This poster presents these remains as archaeological evidence of the social significance of animals in the pre-Hispanic Pueblo region and interprets their occurrence within a framework that incorporates contextual analysis, ethnohistoric research, and descendent community perspectives.

SAA 2015 abstracts made available in tDAR courtesy of the Society for American Archaeology and Center for Digital Antiquity Collaborative Program to improve digital data in archaeology. If you are the author of this presentation you may upload your paper, poster, presentation, or associated data (up to 3 files/30MB) for free. Please visit http://www.tdar.org/SAA2015 for instructions and more information.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• CRM, Kinteel, and the Community of Wide Ruins

Keywords

Spatial Coverage