The Ironwood Village Cemeteries: Exploration of Burial Customs at an 8th Century Hohokam Village

Summary

Studies of burial practices in southern Arizona and the Tucson Basin have been limited to data from small scale excavations. Recent excavations were conducted at the Ironwood Village site, a late Pioneer and Colonial Period Hohokam village along the Santa Cruz River. Eleven cemeteries were identified surrounding a central ballcourt and plaza, which included over 250 cremations and 4 inhumations. This paper explores burial methods, physical anthropology, funerary accompaniments, and spatial patterning within the village to better understand internal and regional social relationships during this time period. Based on this site and comparisons to others in the region, suggestions are made about the nature of 9th century Hohokam religious and secular organization.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Discovery, Excavation, and Lessons of Ironwood Village, an Early Hohokam Ballcourt Settlement Near Tucson, Arizona   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage