Barbara J. Roth

Production and transport of blanks and tools at the French Middle Paleolithic site of Combe-Capelle Bas

Recent studies of Middle Paleolithic lithic assemblages have focused on questions of interest to lithic analysts everywhere, including the effect of raw material availability, occupation span, and tool maintenance on assemblage characteristics. In this paper we add to the growing database on Middle Paleolithic assemblages using material recently excavated at Combe-Capelle Bas in the Dordogne region of southern France. The site provides a unique opportunity for addressing questions concerning lithic assemblage variability because it is located on a high quality flint source. We present data on core reduction, blank selection, raw material procurement, and lithic transport that provide information on lithic use pertinent for both Old World and New World archaeologists. Our data show that raw material availability and group mobility influenced blank selection, production, and transport at Combe-Capelle.

Sedentary Agriculturalists or Mobile Hunter-Gatherers? Recent Evidence on the Late Archaic Occupation of the Northern Tucson Basin

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the Late Archaic occupation of the northern Tucson Basin using data gathered during the Tucson Basin Survey. The distribution of Late Archaic sites is analyzed in relation to the major environmental zones in this region. Artifact assemblages and other site data, including information from two excavated sites, are used to determine the possible roles of sites in the Late Archaic settlement system. Three potential settlement-subsistence models are proposed to account for the observed settlement patterns.

Late Archaic Occupation of the Upper Bajada: Excavations at AZ AA: 12:84 (ASM), Tucson Basin

ABSTRACTAlthough recent research on the Late Archaic occupation of the Tucson Basin has focused primarily on floodplain agricultural villages, sites in the upper bajada (foothills) also played an important role in Late Archaic exploitation of this region. Fieldwork at a small campsite, AZ AA: 12: 84 (ASM), in the Tortolita Mountain upper bajada, adds to the limited data base on the occupation of this environmental zone. This paper presents the results of excavations at AZ AA: 12: 84 (ASM), discusses Late Archaic exploitation of the upper bajada, and examines the role of upper bajada sites in the Late Archaic settlement system. The site apparently represents short-term use of this zone for obtaining upper bajada resources, illustrating that Late Archaic groups in the Tucson Basin maintained some level of mobility despite the growing significance of the floodplain in Late Archaic land-use patterns.

New Insights into the Early Agricultural Period in the Tucson Basin: Excavations at the Valley Farms Site (AZ AA:12:736)

ABSTRACT This paper summarizes the results of recent excavations at the Valley Farms site, AZ AA:12:736 (ASM), in the northern portion of the Tucson Basin. These excavations revealed a deeply buried San Pedro phase component with radiocarbon dates ranging from 2700–;3100 B.P. The site contains a pit structure, storage pits, and thermal pits that apparently represent long-term reoccupation of the floodplain. The Early Agricultural period occupants of the site practiced a mixed subsistence strategy of hunting, gathering, and farming, and were beginning to incorporate ceramic technology into their artifact assemblage. Data from the Valley Farms site thus expand our understanding of the earliest agricultural occupation of the Tucson Basin.

Cortaro Points and the Archaic of Southern Arizona

ABSTRACTA new Archaic projectile point style, the Cortaro point, is introduced and described. Its morphology, manufacturing technology and distribution are documented, and it is shown to be a morphologically and technologically consistent point style. Available data indicate that it is limited to southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Temporal data for the Cortaro point are presented and suggest that it may be of late Middle or Late Archaic age. Cortaro points may, therefore, prove to be useful temporal markers and may constitute yet another projectile point style in use in the southern Southwest during the Archaic period. The cultural implications of Cortaro points are explored, and four hypotheses are presented for consideration by researchers.

A Clovis Point from East-Central Arizona

ABSTRACTThis paper reports on a broken Clovis point recovered from the surface of a lithic scatter in the Zuni River region of east-central Arizona. Site location and point morphology are described, and the significance of a possible Clovis occupation in this region is discussed.

Kin Groups and Social Power at the Harris Site, Southwestern New Mexico

The Late Pithouse period in the Mimbres Mogollon region of southwestern New Mexico was a dynamic time during which many social changes occurred. One of the more significant of these changes appears to be related to the role of land-holding kin groups at some of the larger pithouse sites. We present bioarchaeological data from our recent excavations at the Harris Site in the Mimbres River Valley to illustrate that certain kin groups were gaining social power compared to others in the village. We discuss the reasons for these power differentials and the implications that they have for understanding the myriad other social changes occurring valley-wide at the end of the Pithouse period.

THE ADVENT OF BOW AND ARROW TECHNOLOGY IN THE MIMBRES MOGOLLON REGION

Abstract Recent studies have suggested that bow and arrow technology entered the Southwest earlier than previously thought, perhaps in the early centuries B.C. Our investigations at two upland Pithouse period sites in the Mimbres Mogollon region point to a later introduction of this technology into this area, ca A.D. 500. Our data also document a period of co-occurrence of arrow and dart points, indicating a gradual rather than abrupt transition to the exclusive use of the bow and arrow. We present the results of our study and discuss its implications for evaluating Pithouse period subsistence and technological change. Abstract Estudios recientes sugieren que la tecnología de arco y flecha ingreso al Sudoeste antes de lo que se pensaba, quizás en los primeros siglos a.C. Nuestras investigaciones en dos sitios del periodo Casas de Pozo, en le región de Mimbres Mogollón, apuntan hacia una introducción posterior de este tecnología en esta zona, alrededor de 500 d. C. Nuestros datos también documentan un periodo en el que coexistieron puntas de flechas y de dardos, lo que indica una transición gradual, más que abruptamente, hacia el uso exclusivo del arco y la flecha. Presentamos los resultados de nuestro estudio y discutimos sus implicaciones para evaluar la subsistencia y los cambios tecnológicos del periodo Casas de Pozo.

Mobility, Technology, and Archaic Lithic Procurement Strategies in the Tucson Basin

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the procurement and use of raw materials by upland Archaic groups in the Tucson Basin of southern Arizona and the influence of group mobility, raw material availability, and tithic technology on raw material use. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between raw material procurement and hunter-gather, adaptations in this desert context. Data from sites in the upper bajada in the Tucson Basin reveal that raw material use in this zone was tied to group mobility and the availability of fine-grained materials. This study illustrates that regional patterning in raw material procurement and use can provide important information on hunter-gather use of a landscape.

Changing Perceptions of the Late Archaic: An Example from the Southern Southwest

This article examines new evidence on the Late Archaic occupation of southern Arizona and the relationship between Late Archaic and early ceramic period groups in this region. New data point to similar adaptations resulting in the presence of agricultural villages dispersed along desert waterways. The impact these data have on our interpretation of the Late Archaic and their role in subsequent ceramic period developments are discussed.