In the Groove: Alternative Functions for Sharpening Grooves in the Pueblo Southwest

Summary

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

Commonly across the Puebloan Southwest, incised lines are observed adjacent to petroglyph panels. Often, these features are simply labeled as “axe sharpening grooves.” Many archaeologists label them in their site forms as such, tally them, and tend to not interpret them further. In this experimental research, I push back on this over simplified interpretation of these grooves. By conducting an experiment with what types of materials could create these grooves, the extent in which they sharpen axes, and if the depth is suitable for sharpening through refitting, I infer that these are not simply sharpening grooves. Further, I connect the location and context of concentrations of grooves at specific sites at Chaco Canyon, Lightning Tree House in SW Colorado, and Mesa Verde to show the locations are often in sites of importance such as springs/seeps and a Chacoan amphitheater. I hypothesize these are for collection of sand or blessing objects. I intend to expand our understanding of these grooves and encourage archaeologists to not assume a one size fits all approach to understanding these features.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35898.0