Testing Proxies of Occupational Intensity: Recent Research from the Sierra Pinacate of Northwest Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This poster presents survey data from recent research in the Sierra Pinacate of far Northwest Sonora, Mexico. This region was occupied by O’odham peoples that followed a predominantly hunter and gatherer way of life. Remoteness, extreme aridity, and legal protection as a Reserva de la Biosfera result in exceptional preservation in this region. These conditions, in concert with an ethnographic record documenting occupation from the 16th to 20th century provide a unique context to test relationships between various archaeological proxies of site occupational intensity. Specifically, we explore the relationship between overall site size, frequency of architectural remains (windbreaks), and artifact frequencies. In contrast to prior applications, we find site size to be an overall poor predictor of occupational intensity. Conflating factors likely include social etiquette dictating dispersal surrounding the use of reliable water holes and the impact of ritual architecture on site sizes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52939