Archaeology and Ethnohistory in the Sahuaripa Region of Eastern Sonora

Summary

There is little doubt that there exists cultural continuity linking the Río Sonora tradition and the Ópata (a term referring to an amalgamation of several groups, generally including Eudeve, Teguima and Jova-cf. Yetman 2010; Spicer 1962). The socio-political organization of the late prehispanic Rio Sonora archaeological tradition remains controversial though little studied. Carroll Riley (1982, 1987, 1999, 2005; see also Doolittle 1984, 1988, 2008) proposed that they constitute "statelets", based principally upon the interpretation of the ethnohistorical and Río Sonora archaeological site settlement pattern data. Although, we have long been outspoken critics of this concept, supposedly, the renowned cacique Sisibotari counted some 70 settlements within his dominion (Spicer 1962:92), and requested Pérez de Ribas send missionaries to his people; we suspect that when Pedro Méndez established missions in Bacanora, Sahuaripa and Arivechi, these localities fell within Sisibotari’s dominion, and would seemingly indicate a semi-complex level of socio-political organization. This paper presents recent archaeological investigations in the Sahuaripa region. These data, along with the ethnohistorical accounts, indicate that this region was densely populated and figured prominently in regional and long-distance exchange systems in Northwest Mexico and likely served as the principal route followed by the early Spaniards.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20066