The Multi-Kiva Site: Migration and interaction in Northern Arizona during the Pueblo III Period

Summary

The Multi-Kiva site (AZ P:3:112 [ASM]), situated on the Colorado Plateau in Northern Arizona provides insights into the ways that groups interacted and negotiated their place on the landscape during migration. The Middle Little Colorado River valley region has traditionally been characterized in the Pueblo III (1125-1275 C.E.) period by dispersed pithouse settlements. Recent investigations have illuminated the presence of masonry pueblos in the Middle Little Colorado River valley during the P-III period which bear architectural similarities including large, double coursed masonry walls, formalized plaza spaces, enclosing compound walls, and large room sizes. Even within the context of this recently recognized settlement pattern, however, the Multi-Kiva site appears anomalous. With an estimated 30-40 rooms and areas of two story architecture, the Multi-Kiva site is thus far the largest pueblo identified in the region during the P-III period. This paper seeks to contextualize the Multi-Kiva site within larger regional processes of migration and social interaction that characterized the P-III period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage