The Black Mountain Phase in the Southern Mimbres Valley: Addressing the Last “Fuzzy” Phase in the Mimbres Area Cultural Sequence

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Black Mountain phase (AD 1180-1300) in the Mimbres Mogollon area is an important transition between the cessation of Classic Mimbres pottery production and masonry pueblos to a new suite of pottery types and poured adobe wall pueblos. Debate among Mimbres archaeologists primarily focuses on whether the occupants of Black Mountain phase sites were the same as the preceding Classic period or represent an influx of new people into the southern valley. The Mimbres Foundation excavated a few rooms at two sites in the 1970s, followed recently with two dissertations from limited excavation work at the Old Town and Black Mountain sites on the Deming Plain. However, because of overall limited work, this phase remains the least understood segment of the Mimbres Area cultural sequence. A new multi-year research project aimed specifically at addressing this issue was initiated by ENMU in July 2022 at the Agape Acres site on the NAN Ranch property. Here, we present current issues associated with understanding this important phase and present new data from our July fieldwork, including a radiocarbon date from a house floor and the results of our ground penetrating radar work.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35733.0