December 2011, Daily News

New Excavations Provide Insights to the Rise of Pueblos of the American Southwest

Mon, Dec 19, 2011

Located within the Mesa Verde region of southwestern Colorado, a heretofore unheard-of archaeological site is beginning to offer up some hints about the early rise of the Pueblo society (otherwise known as the Anasazi) that gave rise to the great cliff dwellings and other settlements often associated with the famous Native American desert cultures in the Southwest region of the present-day United States.

Called the "Dillard" site, it does not (yet) sport the architectural wonders of better-known locations like the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings in Colorado or Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, but excavations by a team of archaeologists, students and volunteers there are slowly uncovering structures and artifacts that may hold some of the secrets to understanding the beginnings (the Basketmaker III period) of the Anasazi culture and address long unanswered questions such as where these people came from, population growth, how they created communities and what impact they had on their environment.  

Situated only a few miles from the team's headquarters at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, it is a 7th century ceremonial center that features a "great kiva" (a structure built by Pueblo Indians for ceremonies or other public events), and at least several other "pithouses" (dwellings dug into the ground). Surveys previously conducted by Woods Canyon Archaeological Consultants in 1991 also revealed more than 120 other pithouse structures in the surrounding area, making it one of the largest groupings of such remains from this time period. Dating from test excavations of the great kiva itself indicated that it was one of the oldest public structures in the Mesa Verde region.

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Archaeologists, students and volunteers excavating at the Dillard site.  Courtesy Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.

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Although excavations have only just begun, investigations thus far have yielded a few surprises. Says Project Supervisor Shanna Diederichs of the great kiva, "archaeologists have uncovered evidence of stone-and-mortar masonry that seems to have formed the upper wall of this large structure. The discovery is truly surprising because wet-laid, stacked masonry construction is almost unheard of in ancestral Pueblo sites until approximately A.D. 850, or 200 years later than the Dillard site. Some of the stones are about 80 centimeters wide and would have required the effort of more than one person to carry them to the site."  Excavations in the nearby burned pithouse turned up remains that may cause archaeologists to exercise some new thinking about pithouse structures. "Excavators also found an area of compact, discolored soil east of the antechamber that may indicate a ramped entryway into the antechamber of the pithouse", says Diederchs. "Few doorways have been documented for Basketmaker III pithouses in the Mesa Verde region, so if this proves to be an entryway, researchers may have to reconsider their assumptions about roof entry into these structures."

The Basketmaker III period, which archaeologists date from about A.D. 500 to 750, was a period of rapid population growth in the Mesa Verde region. Archaeologists have suggested that this growth was primarily the result of the inflow of groups from other locations. Archaeological evidence indicates that earlier peoples had mostly occupied the eastern and western fringes of the Mesa Verde region, as well as areas outside the region. Beginning in the sixth century, however, they began migrating into the central Mesa Verde region in large numbers, carrying an agricultural way of life. The population expansion was accompanied by significant technological advancement and social changes, including such developments as domesticated beans, pottery, and the bow and arrow. Scientists have suggested that, because the climate in this area was favorable for agriculture at the time, people may have immigrated into the area from locations where the climate was less favorable for agricultural production. 

While Southwestern archaeologists have uncovered remains of the Basketmaker III period over time, much less is known about this cultural horizon as efforts have focused mostly on the late 13th century Pueblo period and investigations into questions surrounding the abrupt depopulation of the Mesa Verde region. Scholars now hope that excavation and study of sites like the Dillard site will shed more light on a time that still remains comparatively shrouded in mystery. And public participation has been key to the wealth of data now pouring in from the new excavations, including the latest discoveries. 

“This has been a fantastic year", says Diederichs. "Not only does the discovery of numerous habitation structures at the Dillard site suggest that we may have an early village on our hands, but this discovery would not have been possible without the help of so many great folks attending our research programs.”

Individuals interested in becoming a part of the excavations and related programs may go to www.crowcanyon.org or call 800-422-8975.

More details about the excavations can be obtained from Before Mesa Verde, published in the June issue of Popular Archaeology Magazine, and New Clues to Early Pueblo Communities, published in the December issue.