Casas Grandes: A Fallen Trading Center of the Gran Chichimeca, Volume 1, Preceramic - Viejo Periods

Summary

"The archaeological zone of Casas Grandes lies within this unknown expanse. Its cultural core is that prehistoric metropolis of which Bandelier counseled:

I also venture to suggest that the earliest possible date the ruins of Casas Grandes be thoroughly investigated, since excavations, if systematically conducted, cannot fail to produce valuable results."

-Bandelier, A.D. 1892

Comments such as these kindled the flame of curiosity and directed the Amerind Foundation, Inc., to turn its energies to this unstudied land. This was not a precipitous decision but rather one made after years spent piecing together the fragments of history pertaining to the south central portion of Arizona. In part, these earlier studies were initiated by first excavating a series of historic native villages visited by the Jesuit missionaries between A.D. 1687 and 1767. This provided archaeological flesh for the historical skeletons of such Ootam groups as the Sobaipuri of the San Pedro and their kin, the Upper Pima, of the Santa Cruz drainages. Such historical knowledge permitted one to step down the ladder of time to that rung which marked the era which preceded Iberian contacts. The 15th and 16th centuries were of prime importance in the annals of these desert lands. And, as is so often the case, they were intricately involved with cultural interplay. It was a time when the native Ootam were developing their various provincialisms. The Western Pueblo people moved from the north and the others came and built such villages as Casa Grande, Pueblo Grande, and Los Muertos. The latter were marked by multistories puddled adobe structures, truncated mounds, and other complexes which appear to be neither Western Pueblo nor indigenous. Such features led to the speculation that they may have been related to the area of Casas Grandes. Consequently, in 1958, Amerind began a search in northwestern Chihuahua in hopes of making a contribution to knowledge and to further understanding of human activities in arid zones.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA)   •
• Amerind DAHA Resources

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Amerind Museum

Principal Investigator(s): Charles C. Di Peso

Prepared By(s): The Amerind Foundation, Inc.

Record Identifiers

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number(s): 74-82018

File Information