Mechell E. Frazier - The Society for Archaeological Sciences

Connectivity: Mapping Ritual Objects in the Prehispanic Southwest
Mechell E. Frazier
Whatisconnectivityandhowdoarchaeologistsmeasureit?
Results
Nineinteractionmarkerswereexaminedinthisstudy
ManyscholarshavenotedarelationshipbetweentheSouthwestand
Mesoamerica1,2,3.ThisstudyexplorestherelationshipbetweentheHohokam
andculturalgroupsinNorthMexicothroughconnectivity.Connectivityis
definedasasetofsocialprocessesandinteractions,bothdirectandindirect,
thatlinkindividualsandgroupstogether.Itinvolvesmultipleaspectsof
communication,observation,andexchange,allwithvaryingcosts.
Archaeologistscaninvestigateconnectivitybystudyingchangingsocial,
PyriteMirror5
CopperBell6
Pseudocloisonné
decoration7
economic,andgeographicrelationshipsofpeopleandobjectsthroughtime.
ResearcherscanobservethisrelationshipthroughthestudyofwhatNelson4
calls“interactionmarkers”,artifactsandarchitecturalstylesthatincorporate
aMesoamericanelement(e.g.,copperbells,macaws).
Figure2.Least-costpathway
Sites
1)GrandCanalRuins
2)PuebloGrande
3)LasCanopas
4)PuebloBlanco
5)LosGuanacos
6)LosHornos
7)LosMuertos
8)Grewe
9)EscalanteRuinGroup
10)Redtail
11)Silverbell-Coachline
12)SleepingSnake
13)HoneyBeeVillage
14)RomeroRuin
15)HodgesRuin
16)UniversityIndianRuin
17)Tanque VerdeWash
18)WestBranch
19)CerrodeTrincheras
20)CasasGrandes
Blue-greenStone8
ShellTrumpet9
Palette10
0.1
0.08
0.08
0.06
0.06
PreclassicPhoenix
0.04
ClassicPhoenix
ClassicTucson
PreclassicTucson
Macaw11
ShellBracelet12
0.02
0.02
0
0
Cacao13
Methodology
• Distanceisusedtomeasureconnectivityintwoways,firstbyobserving
Figure4. Preclassicfrequenciesof
interactionmarkersstandardizedby
estimatedroomcountsinthePhoenix
andTucsonbasins.
thetheoreticalcostofmovingartifactsacrossgeographicalspace,and
basin
• EighteensiteswereexaminedfromtheTucsonandPhoenixbasins
(Figure1)
ArethePhoenixandTucsonbasinsequallyconnected
withMesoamericaanddotheirrespectiveconnections
changeovertime?
superimposedoncircuitmodeling
analysisfromCerrodeTrincherasto
PhoenixBasin.
0.1
0.04
second,bylookingatthefrequenciesofdepositedartifactsineach
Figure1.Sitesincludedinthestudy.
superimposedoncircuitmodeling
fromCasasGrandestoPhoenix
Basin.
Figure3.Least-costpathway
• Rawvalueswerestandardizedbyestimatedroomcounts
• PhoenixandTucsonbasinsweredividedintopre-Classic(700-1150CE)
andClassic(1150-1450CE)periods
• Aresistancerasterwasmadeforleast-costpathwayandcircuitanalysis
usingthesamewatershedandtopographydata
Figure5. Classicfrequenciesof
interactionmarkersstandardizedby
estimatedroomcountsinthePhoenixand
Tucsonbasins.
Conclusion
• EachbasinappearstoshareadifferentconnectivitywithMesoamerica.
• Artifactslikeblue-greenstoneandshellbracelets,arerelativelyabundant
duringthePreclassicandClassicinbothbasins.Otherartifacts,suchas
mirrors,macaws,andshelltrumpets,occurfarlessfrequently.
• DuringthePreclassicperiod,Tucsonhadamuchhigherfrequencyof
interactionmarkersthanthePhoenixBasin.
• DuringtheClassicperiod,thePhoenixBasinhadagreaterartifactrichness
(n=6)thantheTucsonBasin(n=5),withmacawsbeingpresent.
• Circuitanalysisrevealeddifferentlikelyroutesoftravelthanleast-cost
pathwayanddeservefurtherinvestigation
Acknowledgments: IwouldliketogiveaspecialthankstothepeoplewhohelpedformulatemyideasonthisprojectincludingBenNelson,ChrisCaseldine,Andrea
Torvinen,ChrisSchwartz,RaquelRomero,andLindsayShepard.MuchappreciationtoPuebloGrandeMuseumandArchaeologySouthwestfor allowingmeaccesstotheir
librariesandsitereports.ThankyoutotheSouthwestSocialNetworksforprovidingtheestimatedroomcounts.ThankyoutoGPSAforfundingthistrip,andtotheSociety
forAmericanArchaeologyforhostingmypresentation.
Notes1-13:Pleaseseehandoutforsourcesofreferencesandimages.