A Regional Perspective on Archaic to Formative Settlement in the Sierra Blanca Region, New Mexico

Summary

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

The primary aim of the Sierra Blanca Archaeological Survey—located in the heart of the Sierra Blanca highlands of southeastern New Mexico—is to collect regional data that will enhance our understanding of settlement aggregation, community organization, intra- and interregional interactions, and ideational landscapes during pre-Hispanic times. Data from the project complement information obtained during previous, largely site-specific investigations in the region. Systematic survey of a portion of the Rio Bonito floodplain and adjacent terraces and hillsides during the first two field seasons (2019 and 2021) identified 30 sites with pre-Hispanic components. Evidence from these sites, as well as numerous isolated finds, allow us to make preliminary inferences about activity patterns beginning in the Late Archaic (1800 BC-AD 500); changes in the number, size, composition, and distribution of settlements during the Formative period (AD 500-1450); and long-distance trade. This paper also considers possible ecological and symbolic relationships between the region’s inhabitants and elements of the natural landscape.

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): 36703.0