Implications of Socio-economic Organization Based on Architectural Associations and Modified Sherds from Ricochet Village, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Recent Research at Jornada Mogollon Sites in South-Central New Mexico" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Archaeological investigations of the western portion of Ricochet Village (LA 76465), a late Mesilla to Dona Ana phase site at White Sands Missile Range, encountered clusters of structures and pit features and recovered a sizable assemblage of modified sherds, comprising 3.2 percent of the assemblage. Patterns within structure and storage pit spatial arrangements indicate that residents organized themselves within finite areas defined by feature layout, or household clusters. Modifications of ceramics represented specific tools and functional forms. Production methods included rough flaking, minimal-to-extensive edge grinding/smoothing, perforations (uni- and bi-directional), and incising to produce forms such as scoops/dippers, plates, "paint palettes," pottery scrapers, "spoons," awls, discs, whorls, gaming pieces and objects of unknown function. De facto refuse on house floors included several large vessel fragments that may have served as plates or trays, or were used for parching/food preparation. This paper examines socio-economic implications of the architecture and the modified sherd assemblage, making comparisons with assemblages from other regional sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Recent Research at Jornada Mogollon Sites in South-Central New Mexico   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23341