Exploring Classic Period Mimbres Social Networks through Neutron Activation Analysis: A Pilot Study

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Research Hot Off the Trowel in the Upper Gila and Mimbres Areas" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This poster presents the results of a study that uses the neutron activation analysis (NAA) dataset that has been compiled for the Mimbres region in order to conduct social network analysis (SNA) for the Classic period (AD 1000–1130). The NAA dataset for the Mimbres region identifies compositional groups and probable production locals for Mimbres pottery. Previous SNA studies in the American Southwest have used ceramic wares to build ties between sites and have established a set of methods for creating and examining social networks. The use of NAA data to build social networks allows for these methods to be used within a region and temporal period that lacked diversity in ceramic wares. Recent Mimbres NAA and pottery studies provide a context of production, distribution, and social significance from which the social networks can be viewed. This study examines differences in painted and utilitarian pottery networks, explores site centrality within the networks, and uses GIS to geographically represent the social networks across the Mimbres region. This study also demonstrates the applicability of the Mimbres NAA data for conducting SNA and presents future avenues of study and data needs for further examining social networks within the Mimbres region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• Research Hot Off the Trowel in the Upper Gila and Mimbres Areas

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33327