the casas grandes regional system, a.d. 1200-1450
DESCRIPTION
The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450. Judith A. Habicht Mauche Archaeology of the American Southwest UCB/UCSC Spring 2008. The Casas Grandes Region. MIMBRES. Natural Setting and Environment. High basin-and-range topography Wide, flat, fertile valley - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Judith A. Habicht Mauche
Archaeology of the American Southwest
UCB/UCSC
Spring 2008
The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450
![Page 2: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
The Casas Grandes RegionThe Casas Grandes Region
MIMBRES
![Page 3: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Natural Setting and Environment
• High basin-and-range topography• Wide, flat, fertile valley• Chihuahua desert shrub and grassland
![Page 4: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Farming
• Sierras--dry farming on terraces--TrincherasTrincheras– View of Cerro de Trin
cheras, Sonora
• Playa Basins--flood water farming
![Page 5: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Joint Casas Grandes ProjectAmerind Foundation and INAHCharles Di Peso (1958-1961)
*excavated western portion of site and several other sites in the Casas Grandes area.
![Page 6: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Other Major Research Projects• Paul Minnis and Michael Whalen
– Regional Survey– Early 1990s– Publication in 2001: Casas Grandes and its Hinterland (U of A
Press)
• Archaeology of North Mexico Project– Joint project of INAH/UNM/MNM– Robert Leonard (UNM) and Tim Maxwell (MNM) – Excavations at Galeana Site (Medio Period)
• The University of North Florida & University of Missouri Joint Archaeological Field Project to the Casas Grandes Region of Chihuahua, Mexico– Christine and Todd Van Pool et al. (focus to the west of Paquime)
![Page 7: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Revised Chronology
• Dean and Ravesloot (1993)– Estimated ratio of
sapwood in squared beams
![Page 8: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Viejo Period
• A.D. 700-1200• Cave sites in mountains• Pithouse villages in valley• Example: Convento Site
– Cluster of large pithouses (12 per phase)– Shift to above ground architecture--single story walled
compounds--similar to Classic Hohokam
• Evidence of continuity between Viejo and Medio Evidence of continuity between Viejo and Medio PeriodsPeriods
![Page 9: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Medio Period
• A.D. 1200-1450
• Sierras: cave sites– Granaries
• Valleys:– Big sites and small sites– Within 30 km of Paquimé--three-tier
hierarchical settlement pattern
![Page 10: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Medio Period Cliff Dwellings
![Page 11: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
![Page 12: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Paquime--Medio Period
• Buena Fe Phase– Single story adobe
rooms clustered around walled courtyards (342 rooms)
– 20 courtyard groups
– Sq. column-fronted galleries
– House of the Serpent--macaw breeding boxes
![Page 13: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
• Paquime Phase– Site completely rebuilt– Large, multi-story
residential complexes– Ca. 2000 rooms– Extensive public
architecture (3 ballcourts, platform mounds, market?)
– Elaborate water system• Walk-in well, reservoir,
covered drains
– Communal food preparation areas
![Page 14: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
![Page 15: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
• Diablo Phase– Degeneration, destruction and abandonment by
late 15th c.– Public building stopped, public space converted
to residential space
![Page 16: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Craft Specialization and Trade
What was Casas Grandes role in mediating the exchange of exotic
goods between Mesoamerica and the American Southwest?
What role did “prestige goods” and “prestige goods exchange” play in
the Casas Grandes Regional System?
![Page 17: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Ramos Polychrome
![Page 18: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Effigy Vessels
![Page 19: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
“Flight of the Shaman”after Christine S. VanPool (2002)
![Page 20: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Non-local Pottery
• John Douglas (1992)• Imported ceramics <3% of decorated pottery• Salado Polychrome (AZ)--imported or local
copies??--concentrated in one room.• El Paso Polychrome (NM)--represents over 90%
of imported decorated ceramics • Different exchange network from shells, turquoise
or copper• GENDER?--Women’s vs. Men’s spheres of
interaction?
![Page 21: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Scarlet Macaw Breeding• Birds from
Tamaulipas and Oaxaca
• For trade w/ SW or local consumption??
• Feathers, costumes--Assoc. with Katsina ritualism??
![Page 22: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Shell Working
• 4 million pieces excavated• Mostly from two storerooms• Direct acquisition or trade w/ West Mexico• Trade w/ SW--Hohokam vs. Casas Grandes networks (Bradley 2000)
![Page 23: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Copper Metallurgy
Turquoise
From West Mexico; mostly From West Mexico; mostly for local consumptionfor local consumption
![Page 24: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
The Casas Grandes The Casas Grandes Regional SystemRegional System
![Page 25: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Distribution of Ballcourts
![Page 26: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Signaling Towers/Shrines?
Cerro Montezuma
![Page 27: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
The Chaco Meridian? (Steve Lekson)
North-South Alignment of Chaco, Aztec, Great North Road and Casas Grandes
![Page 28: The Casas Grandes Regional System, A.D. 1200-1450](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022062322/56814a9d550346895db7ab0e/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Class Discussion: Interpretive Models
The following interpretive models have been used to explain the Casas Grandes Regional System:– The Pochteca Model (Di Peso)
– Prestige Exchange Model (Bradley)
– Peer Polity Interaction and Competition (Minnis and Whalen)
– Chaco Migration Model (Lekson)
Describe the major characteristics and assumptions of Describe the major characteristics and assumptions of each model. What evidence supports or contests each model. What evidence supports or contests each model? Which model or combination of each model? Which model or combination of models do you find most convincing and why?models do you find most convincing and why?