Under the direction of Dr. Keith Kintigh, MS Deborah Huntley will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. Using both chemical and stylistic techniques she will analyze a series of ceramics from prehistoric Zuni sites located in west central New Mexico. Between 1250 and 1400 AD at least 28 large pueblos were built, occupied and abandoned. These large structures contained up to 400 rooms, were defended from external attack and were of sufficient size to function as independent communities. They were often spaced within 5 - 10 km. of each other. While excavation has provided insight into individual pueblo function, archaeologists do not understand how these communities, which clearly share a wide range of cultural traits, interacted with each other and to what extent the formed an integrated functioning system. Models vary from hypothesized community autonomy, through alliance to ritual complementarily. To examine this question MS Huntley will study ceramics excavated at a series of contemporaneous sites and also conduct similar chemical analyses on localized deposits from which clay was extracted. She will use electron microprobe analysis, Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis to characterize both clay and pottery glaze to reconstruct the Zuni manufacturing and exchange system. Combined with a stylistic analysis she will be able to determine where individual ceramics were made, whether unique local styles exist and the degree and direction finished vessels moved between pueblos. These data will provide insight not only into the overall amount of interaction but the extent to which alliances among different pueblos existed.
Anthropologists consider the prehistoric Zuni to represent a "Middle Range Society", defined on the basis of settled village agriculture and a local centralized form of social organization. Such entities were widespread during late prehistoric times, in many areas survived into the historic period and originally set the stage for the emergence of civilization. Because of their widespread occurrence and significance, it is important to understand how they functioned and MS Huntley's research will contribute to this process. This work will shed light on an important period of U.S. prehistory and assist in training a promising young scientist.
