Ceramic Spatial Patterning at Paraje San Diego on El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, New Mexico

Summary

For travelers on El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the 1,600 mile trail connecting Mexico City to Santa Fe, the Paraje San Diego (LA 6346) in southern New Mexico is a significant campsite connecting the trail to the Rio Grande before it diverges into the waterless Jornada del Muerto to the north.  Past analysis of ceramics from the site revealed broad patterns in directional trade and chronology of the Camino Real; recent field data, including point-plotted ceramics recovered from the site, provide an opportunity for a GIS spatial analysis of ceramic use on the Paraje San Diego.  Activities exhibited by ceramic functional forms include cooking, storing, and water procurement; identified ceramic types also offer temporal evidence of site use over time.  Spatial patterns in these variables reveal activity areas and intermittent use of this campsite with access to permanent water sources.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions) 2018   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 273