The Archaeology of the Sierra Blanca Region of Southeastern New Mexico

566 Pages·1984·33.23 MB·English

by  by Jane Holden Kelley

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS
MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
NO. 74
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF
THE SIERRA BLANCA REGION
OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO
by
JANE HOLDEN KELLEY
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN
1984
Dedictaot ed
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ISBN -997382-2006-96-1 (paper)
ISBN 978-1-949 098-97-6 (ebook)
CONTENTS
Tables ...................................................... xiii
Charts ...................................................... xiv
Figures ..................................................... xv
Plates ..................................................... xvii
Maps ...................................................... xix
Foreword to the 1984 Edition, by John D. Speth .................. xxi
Preface - 1984 ............................................ xxvii
Acknowledgments: 1966 and 1984 ............................ xxxv
Introduction ............................................. xxxvii
1. A Survey of Natural Potential Resources of Southeastern
New Mexico ............................................... 1
Introduction ................................................ 1
Inorganic Resources ......................................... 2
Stone ................................................... 2
Clay .................................................... 2
Ornamental Stones and Pigments ............................. 2
Metal and Coal ........................................... 3
Resources Pertinent to Agriculture .............................. 3
Water ................................................... 3
Soil .................................................... 4
Temperature .............................................. 6
Agricultural Resources and Limitations ........................ 6
Organic Resources ........................................... 7
Plants as Potential Resources ................................ 7
iii
Animals as Potential Resources ............................. 10
Summary Statement on Organic Resources .................... 12
2. Regional Review of the Ecology and Archaeology ... ............ 21
Dating Problems ........................................... 21
Chupadero Region .......................................... 22
The Setting ............................................. 22
Archaeological Sequence .................................. 22
South-central New Mexico from the Tularosa Basin
to the Rio Grande .......................................... 25
The Setting ............................................. 25
Archaeological Sequence of the Southern Regions .............. 26
Archaeological Sequence of the Northern Tularosa Basin ......... 28
Guadalupe Mountain Region ................................. 29
The Pecos Valley ........................................... 30
The Setting ............................................. 30
Archaeological Sequence .................................. 31
The Llano Estacada ......................................... 33
Summary ................................................. 33
3. Archaeological Sites of the Sierra Blanca Region ............... 35
The Setting ............................................... 35
History of the Fieldwork ..................................... 39
The Sites ................................................. 40
Mayhill Sites 1 and 2 ..................................... 40
Site 2000 ............................................... 40
The Bonnell Site ......................................... 42
Clint Sultemeier Site ...................................... 42
Hiner Site 1 ............................................. 43
Phillips Site ............................................. 43
Block Lookout Site ....................................... 43
Bloom Mound ........................................... 44
Phases ................................................... 44
The Glencoe Phase ....................................... 44
The Corona Phase ........................................ 50
The Lincoln Phase ........................................ 51
Summary ................................................. 56
iv
4. Intra- and Interregional Comparisons
of Individual Culture Traits ................................. 59
Placement and Internal Organization of Sites
in the Sierra Blanca Region .................................. 59
Ecological Distribution of Sites ............................. 59
Topographical Location of Sites ............................. 60
The Factor of Defense in Site Locations ...................... 60
Village Organization ...................................... 61
Pithouses and Other Subterranean Structures ..................... 62
Raw Materials and Their Utilization in Pithouses ............... 63
Pithouse Shape .......................................... 63
Depth of House Pits ...................................... 64
Treatment of Pit Walls ..................................... 65
Floor Treatment .......................................... 65
Lateral Entrances and Ventilators ............................ 66
Benches ................................................ 67
Interior Pits and Depressions ............................... 68
Firepits and Fire Areas .................................... 69
Ash Receptacles .......................................... 71
Houses Outlined with Upright Stone Slabs .................... 72
Cobbles Used in Structures ................................. 74
A Slab-lined Pithouse with Masonry Walls .................... 75
House Units Composed of Contiguous Pit Rooms .............. 75
Superstructure Construction ................................ 77
Roof Construction ........................................ 79
Secondary Interior Posts ................................... 79
Minor Construction Elements Involving Posts .................. 80
Adobe and/or Masonry Surface Structures ...................... 80
Shape of the Pueblo Structures .............................. 80
Wall Construction and Building Materials ..................... 81
Roof Construction ........................................ 82
Interior Posts ............................................ 82
Firepits ................................................. 83
Ash Box ................................................ 83
Sub-floor Pits ............................................ 83
Use of Upright Stone Slabs ................................ 83
Doorways ............................................... 84
Jacal Construction ........................................ 84
Ceremonial Structures in Southeastern New Mexico ............... 85
Review of Archaeological Evidence .......................... 85
v
Sipapus ................................................ 87
Summary ............................................... 88
Food Processing Tools ....................................... 89
Metates and Basin Milling Stones ........................... 89
Manos and Grinding Stones ................................ 92
Mortars and Pestles ....................................... 92
Summary ............................................... 94
Other Grinding Implements .................................. 94
"Palettes" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Grinding Slabs ........................................... 95
Stone Abrading Tools ....................................... 96
Grooved Abraders ........................................ 96
Striated Abrader .......................................... 96
Flat Abraders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Hafted Tools .............................................. 96
Axes ................................................... 96
Grooved Hammers, Mauls, and Other Hafted Tools ............. 98
Hammerstones ............................................. 98
Cooking Accessories ........................................ 99
Comales ................................................ 99
Pot Lids ................................................ 99
Fire Dogs .............................................. 100
Cooking Racks .......................................... 100
Summary .............................................. 100
Ceremonial, Omamental, or Recreational Artifacts ............... 101
Stone and Pottery Animal Figures .......................... 101
Incense Burners ......................................... 101
Pipes ................................................. 102
Gaming Pieces .......................................... 103
Bone Whistles .......................................... 104
Bone Tubes ............................................ 105
Miscellaneous Bone Items Probably Used
for Personal Adornment .................................. 105
Ornaments ............................................. 106
Summary .............................................. 109
Weapons Complex ......................................... 110
Arrow Shaft-straighteners ................................. 110
Projectile Points ......................................... 112
vi
Small Tools Used in Crafts .................................. 115
Chipped Stone Tools ..................................... 115
Bone Awls ............ : ................................ 116
Other Small Bone Tools .................................. 117
Polishing Stones ........................................ 117
Disposal of the Dead ....................................... 118
Woven Materials .......................................... 120
Pottery of the Sierra Blanca Region ........................... 120
Native Types and Variants ................................. 121
Interregional Trade Pottery ................................ 127
Elements that Cross-cut Pottery Types ....................... 130
Description of Four Pottery Types Native
to the Sierra Blanca Region ................................. 133
Jomada Brown .......................................... 133
Chupadero Black-on-White and Related Types and Varieties ..... 136
Three Rivers Red-on-Terracotta and Related Types ............. 140
Lincoln Black-on-Red .................................... 143
Regional Subsistence Patterns in the Subarea ................... 144
Summary of Cultural Relationships in the Sierra Blanca Region .... 146
5. Origins and Development of Sedentary Life
in Southeastern New Mexico ............................... 151
Relationships Between the Hueco and Mesilla Phases ............ 151
Primary Sources of Pueblo I and II Culture ..................... 153
Subsequent Development of Sedentary Village Life .............. 154
Abandonment-When and Why .............................. 156
Ethnic Identity ............................................ 158
Marginalism and Cultural Conservatism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Suggestions for Future Work ................................ 163
Appendix 1. Archaeology of the Upper Gallo Drainage ..... ...... 167
Introduction .............................................. 167
Excavated Sites or Features Not Assigned to a Phase ............. 169
Clint Sultemeier Site 2 ................................... 169
Clark Site 1 ............................................ 171
vii
Isolated Feature at the Frank Sultemeier Site .................. 171
Comment on the Three Preceding Features ................... 172
An Excavated Site of the Corona Phase
Clint Sultemeier Site 1 ................................... 175
Surveyed Sites of the Corona Phase ........................... 177
Black Stump Canyon Site ................................. 177
Hiner Site 2 ............................................ 183
Clark Site 2 ............................................ 184
Excavated Sites of the Lincoln Phase .......................... 185
Frank Sultemeier Site .................................... 185
Hiner Site 1 ............................................ 185
Ryberg Site 3 ........................................... 194
Laboratory of Anthropology Survey ........................... 197
Appendix 2. Sites in the Upper Macho Drainage ................ 199
The Phillips Site .......................................... 199
Surveyed House Units .................................... 200
Excavated House Units ................................... 201
Early Lincoln Phase House Excavations ...................... 204
Late Lincoln Phase House Units ........................... 204
A Private Collection ..................................... 214
Artifacts from Phillips Ranch Site .......................... 214
Food Remains .......................................... 221
Pottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Relative Dating of House Units and Individual Structures
Using Pottery Lots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
The Phillips Site Petroglyphs .............................. 237
Carrizo Mountain Silicified Shale Mines ....................... 250
Robinson Site ............................................. 251
Small Sites West of the Phillips Site .......................... 251
Summary ................................................ 255
Appendix 3. Sites North of Capitan Mountain .................. 257
The Locale ............................................... 257
Homestead Site ........................................... 257
Las Tab las Site ............................................ 258
Block Headquarters Site of the Lincoln Phase ................... 258
viii
Block Lookout Site of the Lincoln Phase ....................... 259
Introduction ............................................ 259
Excavated Structures ..................................... 260
Artifacts ............................................... 265
Food Remains .......................................... 269
Burials ................................................ 284
Skeletal Analysis of the Adult Burial in Room 1, by Erik Reed .. 284
Pottery ................................................ 285
Pottery as a Temporal Indicator ............................ 286
Locality Summary ....................................... 287
Appendix 4. Sites In and Adjacent to the Upper
Hondo Drainage ............................................ 293
Introduction .............................................. 293
A Geological Feature: The "Aqueduct" ........................ 294
Preceramic Sites ........................................... 295
Pfingsten Site 1 ......................................... 295
Feather, Chipmunk, or Smetnick Cave ....................... 295
Sites Not Assigned to a Phase ............................... 296
Threlkeld Site .......................................... 296
Sites in the Upper Ruidoso Valley .......................... 296
Upper Stanton Site ...................................... 296
Hondo Schoolyard Site ................................... 297
Riverside Site ........................................... 297
The Fortification ........................................ 297
Site on Bonito Lake ..................................... 298
A Corona Phase Site
The Escondida Site ...................................... 298
Glencoe Phase Sites ....................................... 299
McDaniel Site .......................................... 299
Pfingsten Site 2 ......................................... 299
Perry Site .............................................. 299
Close Gravel Pit Site ..................................... 300
Nogal Mesa Site ........................................ 300
Nogal Canyon Site ....................................... 300
Upper Bonito Site II ..................................... 301
Upper Bonito Site III .................................... 301
A Site with Glencoe and Lincoln Phase Components
Fred Pfingsten Site ...................................... 301
Lincoln Phase Sites ........................................ 302
ix