Archaeological Investigations at the Elk Ridge Site, Mimbres Valley, New Mexico

Summary

Recent excavations conducted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in conjunction with the Gila National Forest Service took place at the Elk Ridge Ruin, a large Classic period (AD 1000-1150) pueblo in the Mimbres River Valley, New Mexico. This project was done as part of mitigation efforts to protect the site from flood waters in an arroyo that cut through the western portion of the site. Excavations were done in three pueblo rooms that were positioned along the arroyo cut and were the most threatened by future flooding episodes. Despite the fact that portions of these rooms had been previously eroded, recovered artifact assemblages were complete enough to yield interesting information on the occupation of the pueblo. Analysis of floor assemblages including ceramic vessels and groundstone shed light on domestic household activities and possible activities related to the ritual closing of one of the rooms. Architectural and artifact data from the largest room documented numerous floor adobe applications and episodes of remodeling in which doorways and a vent had been sealed or modified reflecting construction/alterations of adjoining rooms over time. This poster summarizes the findings from the first year of excavation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Celebrating the Contributions of a Community of Preservation: Forest Service Partners and Volunteers

Keywords

Spatial Coverage