Reevaluating Mobility and Sedentism in Classic Mimbres and Salado Villages in Southwest New Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Fourteenth century Salado villages in southwest New Mexico show interesting contrasts with earlier villages from the Classic Mimbres period (AD 1000-1130). One of the most intriguing differences is the evidence that Salado period villagers may have employed a land-use strategy relying on more frequent mobility between villages and at larger spatial scales in comparison to Classic Mimbres period residents of the same areas. Researchers in the 1990s suggested "short-term sedentism" characterized Salado period sites, but had limited comparative data available. This study reexamines evidence for mobility and sedentism in the Classic Mimbres and Salado periods using architectural data from numerous excavations in the Mimbres region, including recent work on Salado villages. A Salado period land use strategy employing greater mobility may also have allowed more resilient use of farmland and other resources.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24411