Understanding the Paleoindian Occupation of the Estancia Basin: A 70-Year Record of Questions, Collections, and Learning

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Papers in Celebration of Bruce B. Huckell, Part 1" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Estancia Basin of Central New Mexico contained a large Pluvial lake which desiccated during the terminal Pleistocene. Human occupation by Paleoindian groups was set against a backdrop of changing landscapes and resource availability. Beginning in the 1930s and 1940s the archaeological record of the basin contributed to early discussions of the peopling of the New World. Droughts in Central New Mexico in the 1950s exposed dozens of sites which were collected by interested amateurs and student archaeologists whose research was used to help resolve questions of Clovis and Folsom chronology. This paper will revisit and present a synthesis of the last 70 years of research in the Estanica Basin. In an attempt to provide better context of Paleoindian occupation and mobility in the basin, several large lithic collections were reanalyzed and these data are coupled with original field notes and geoarchaeological analysis to paint more vibrant picture. Prominent sites in the basin, including Lucy, Martin, Bigbee, and Kinchloe are compared to each other, better resolved climatic records, and dozens of other sites to provide an updated view of the early occupation of Central New Mexico.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Papers in Celebration of Bruce B. Huckell, Part 1   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52367