Investigating Interaction through Multilayer Material Culture Networks in the Western Pueblos

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Local and/or Exotic Interactions: Symbols, Materials, and Societies" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Comprehending the dynamics of regional interaction requires a holistic perspective. One artifact type falls short in capturing the richness of societal behavior, particularly when considering a sole attribute, such as paint style. Archaeologists are constrained by the availability of material culture and data, data quality, and methodological limitations; however, this situation is improving. This study synthesizes expansive datasets from the US Southwest, encompassing architecture, ceramics, and obsidian, to illuminate transformations within the period AD 1100–1500. Projectile point data is limited by typological problems and availability, but this is overcome through a novel analysis using geometric morphometrics. The study region spans from the Hopi Mesas to Zuni and to Tonto Basin and areas in between (west-central Arizona and parts of neighboring New Mexico). Network analysis is ideal for this combined dataset due to its focus on identifying relations between sites. Multilayer networks allow each type of material culture to be analyzed as separate layers in a single analysis. By employing this comprehensive dataset and innovative methodology, this study advances new understandings of transformative processes within the specified era.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Local and/or Exotic Interactions: Symbols, Materials, and Societies   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38064.0