Under the guidance of Dr. Stephen H. Lekson, Kathryn Putsavage will examine the demographic and social transformation which occurred in the Mimbres region of southwestern New Mexico around A.D. 1130/1150 at the beginning of the Black Mountain phase. The Mimbres region of southwestern New Mexico is renowned for the distinctive black-on-white pottery created during the Mimbres phase (A.D. 1000 to 1130/1150). At the height of the Mimbres phase, populations totaled as many as seven thousand people. Around A.D. 1130/1150, production of the distinctive pottery dramatically decreased and completely ceased in some areas. During this period of change, it is unclear if populations in the region were replaced, reorganized, and/or decreased yet continued to live in the Mimbres region. This was accompanied by the expansion and reorganization of local and regional social and economic networks. Scholars working in the region agree there was a demographic and social transformation around A.D. 1130/1150, but the chronology, scale, and the specific nature of these events are not fully understood.
Although focused on one specific region and time period the research is significant because it examines the long term relation between demography, social organization and culture change in a traditional society which existed in an unpredictable and highly variable semi-arid environment.
In order to understand the chronology of the demographic and social transition, the Black Mountain Archaeological Project (BMAP) will collect materials suitable for radiocarbon dating to refine the chronology of the site and time period. Since the Black Mountain site may be the largest of its phase, it is important to determine exactly when and for how long the site was occupied. To understand the scale of the transformation, BMAP will conduct geophysical survey. Since some scholars have suggested the Mimbres region was depopulated after A.D. 1130/1150, documenting the size of the Black Mountain site will provide important information on the scale of population movement around A.D. 1130/1150. To reconstruct and characterize the demographic transformation, BMAP will utilize ceramic and obsidian sourcing techniques. Because geologic sources of obsidian and clay have distinct chemical compositions, these methods can be used to track the circulation of artifacts made of these materials. This will enable BMAP to track changes in trade between the Mimbres and Black Mountain phases. Through comparison of these artifacts, geophysical survey, test excavations, and the collection of datable materials, the project will investigate whether these processes represent a replacement of new populations, a continuous occupation accompanied by social reorganization, or some other scenario.
This research will have a broader impact beyond the research topics presented. Through collaborative work with local museums and archaeological societies, the project will also promote historic preservation in Deming, New Mexico, and in the Mimbres region. This area has been severely impacted by looting and the Black Mountain site serves as an important example of how looting can negatively affect the archaeological record. Finally, BMAP will collaborate with other research projects to build a regional context for transformations and other questions. Additionally, the data produced by the project will be widely available online to researchers through the Archaeological Records Management Section (ARMS), a division of the Museum of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.
