Paul R. Fish

Consistency in Archaeological Measurement and Classification: A Pilot Study

Little attention has been paid by archaeologists to the important problem of replicability of observational units. The studies presented in this paper involve examinations of discrepancy occurring at various levels in lithic and ceramic classification. Standardized typologies, as well as qualitative and quantitative attributes are considered. The results are discussed in terms of observer bias, influence of training, measurement error, and the implications for the statistical treatment of data.

Plausible ethnographic analogies for the social organization of Hohokam canal irrigation

This paper presents the results of a juxtaposition of archaeological findings on Hohokam irrigation and ethnographic research on the social organization of irrigation. There are no ethnographic or historic records pertaining to the Hohokam, so the comparative ethnographic approach is perhaps more productive than in other situations. Several forms of canal irrigation organization are considered, including politically centralized, acephalous, private, and several forms of communal. We find that politically centralized, acephalous, and private forms are implausible in the Hohokam context. Several of the communal forms are plausible. We find no ethnographic basis for positing a valley-wide management system.

Early Corn Remains from Tumamoc Hill, Southern Arizona

The tandem accelerator mass spectrometer provided critical dating of corn remains in Archaic levels of juxtaposed Archaic and Hohokam occupations on Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, Arizona. This new radiometric technology confirmed an Archaic placement suggested by stratigraphy and artifact distributions. The small sample of intact remains resembles other directly-dated early corn in the Southwest and reinforces an interpretation of preceramic cultivators in the Sonoran Desert.

Prehistoric landscapes of the sonoran desert Hohokam

The Hohokam of southern Arizona are noted for greater duration of settlement than other major agricultural traditions in the archaeological record of the southwestern United States, including the Anasazi and Mogollon. The 40,000 square mile area inhabited by the Hohokam is marked by low elevation desert basins, but encompasses a range of topographic and climatic variability that shaped opportunities for prehistoric farming technologies. Irrigation from rivers was frequently associated with the longterm persistence of individual sites, while floodwater farming along ephemeral drainages was more often correlated with continuous occupation of hydrologically favored zones. Renewal of fields by waterborne nutrients and efficient practices in the use of natural resources countered the limited mobility options afforded by the Hohokam environment.In spite of a restrictive agricultural setting and an essentially static suite of productive technologies over many centuries, relationships among population, settlement, and landuse were redefined in evolving social and economic configurations. An example from the Tucson Basin illustrates differentiated patterns of settlement and agriculture arising in conjunction with increased levels of population and territorial integration in the late prehistoric period. Community organization among interrelated settlements incorporated a diversity of topographic zones and agricultural technologies in this high-risk context for prehistoric cultivators.

Southwest and Northwest: Recent Research at the Juncture of the United States and Mexico

Research within the last 3 to 5 years is summarized for the southern part of the southwestern United States and adjacent northwest Mexico. In an effort to identify important new sources of information, the literature of contract archaeology is cited, along with more widely available journal and book publications. Topics considered include Late Archaic farmers, early ceramic villages, subsistence and agricultural technology, settlement stability and residential mobility, community organization, and developments of the late prehistoric period sociopolitical complexity.

Key Issues and Topics in the Archaeology of the American Southwest and Northwestern Mexico

We review some of the most significant research trends as well as emerging issues in the archaeology of the American Southwest and Northwest Mexico. Among the many topics being studied that we could discuss, we have chosen to focus on engaged archaeology, “big data”, the research potential of museum collections, agriculture, social organization, regional connectivity, and culture history.

Prehistory and early history of the Malpai Borderlands: Archaeological synthesis and recommendations

Prehispanic and early historic archaeological information for the Malpai Borderlands of southwest New Mexico and southeast Arizona is reviewed using data derived from field reconnaissance, discussion with relevant scholars, archival resources from varied agencies and institutions, and published literature. Previous regional research has focused on late prehistory (A.D. 1200 to 1450), shaping the scope of cultural historical overview and providing an opportunity to examine relationships with Casas Grandes (Paquime) to the south. A second important objective of current study is the exploration of prehispanic and early historic human impacts to Borderlands ecosystems, particularly in relation fire ecology. A recommended sequence of future research is intended to address significant questions surrounding both culture history and anthropogenic environments in the Malpai Borderlands.