Geologic Origins and Probable Sources for Zuni Mountain Spotted Chert

Summary

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

Zuni Mountain Spotted Chert is one of the most important lithic materials in western New Mexico. It is frequently observed at Folsom sites in the valley of the Puerco of the East and Middle Rio Grande Valley. The material was imported into Chaco Canyon and is common on Chacoan great house sites in the southern San Juan Basin and Red Mesa Valley. Zuni Mountain Spotted Chert is a major component of the lithic assemblages at villages dating to the Pueblo III-IV period in the El Morro Valley and eastern Cibola region. Despite this, information on sources for Zuni Mountain Spotted Chert is largely anecdotal. This poster synthesizes recent research on the geological origins of the material and describes confirmed and probable source locations in western New Mexico.

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): 53096