European Contact Americas

Archaeological cultures of the Malpai Borderlands study area are intermediate between the homelands of several better defined and relatively well-studied prehispanic manifestations. To the northwest, the Hohokam represent a persistent cultural expression throughout ceramic times. To the north and northeast, before A.D. 1200, the Mimbres culture created dominant ceramic styles. Thereafter, the Salado and Casas Grandes spheres to the north and south respectively represent archaeological cultures in a broadly Mogollon tradition. Located between some of the more dramatic developments in Southwest prehistory, the Malpai Borderlands have played a key role in regional synthesis and the development of interpretive constructs about frontiers (De Atley 1980), interaction spheres (Douglas 1995; P. Fish and Fish 1999; Skibo and others 2002), political dominance (Di Peso 1974; Wilcox 1995), and short-term sedentism with cycles of abandonment and migration (Nelson and Anyon 1996; Nelson and LeBla...

To understand the effects of European contact on the organization, size, and mobility of Pueblo populations in the Southwest requires detailed knowledge of the occupational histories of the aggregated settlements that typify the late prehistoric and early historic record. Unfortunately, such understanding is generally lacking because the methods used to document occupational histories of settlements tend to either obscure fine-grained temporal distinctions or necessitate costly, and politically objectionable, large-scale excavations. To overcome these difficulties, we use surface expressions to analyze the occupational and population history of San Marcos Pueblo (LA98), an aggregated, late prehistoric site in the Galisteo Basin of New Mexico that persisted to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Field methods include detailed mapping of the settlement and systematic surface collections of middens. Frequency seriation, correspondence analysis, and mean ceramic dates of decorated ceramic rims c...

Initial applications of settlement scaling theory focused on measures derived from the built environment, such as house density and settled area. Although this is appropriate, the theory actually focuses on the role of social networks in socioeconomic rates, and thus connects to a variety of artifact-based measures of such rates. In this paper, we develop these connections using data from the Rio Grande Pueblos of New Mexico. We first examine pueblo room areas to show that socioeconomic outputs increased with settlement population. Then, we examine ratios of decorated pottery to cooking pottery to show that consumption rate of decorated vessels increased in the same manner. Finally, we use the ratio of chipped stone debris to cooking pottery to measure investment in production of stone tools, finding an increased efficiency in their production and use. We argue this pattern derives from an expansion in the division of labor that accompanies group size. By extending the scaling framework to artifact-based measures like these, our results show that there is a connection between social networks and artifact accumulation rates in ancient societies. This suggests the scaling framework is useful for understanding a wide array of measures obtainable from the archaeological record.

This paper lays out the evidence for contact between the Balsam Lake region in south central Ontario and the St. Lawrence valley, in the late 15th to late 16th centuries.  An important issue is the variability in the nature and scale of contact over this time period, ranging from individual trade partnerships in the late 15th century, to adoption of St. Lawrence Iroquoian families into Huron-Wendat households in the late 16th century.  It is also suggested that this contact was initiated by Algonkians living at the north end of Balsam Lake, but ultimately came to include the Huron-Wendat living around the southern end of the lake.

The maritime fur trade (1785–1840s) led to the local extinction of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in many parts of the northeast Pacific. On the basis of studies of extant sea otter populations, it has been established that they have a disproportionate effect on nearshore ecosystems by limiting sea urchin abundance and facilitating the establishment of nearshore kelp forests; in the absence of sea otters, a local reduction in kelp-derived carbon is therefore expected. We measured the isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) of rockfish (Sebastes spp.) bone collagen from late Holocene archaeological sites in southern Haida Gwaii, BC, Canada, using δ13C as a proxy for kelp-derived carbon in the diet and δ15N as a proxy for trophic position. We observed significant spatial variability in rockfish kelp-derived carbon (δ13C), but not trophic level (δ15N). Kelp-derived carbon varied largely as a function of site characteristics (wave exposure), suggesting that local oceanographic conditions are important factors with respect to consumer tissue isotopic compositions. Kelp-derived carbon decreased in post-European contact rockfish relative to pre-European contact rockfish, likely as a result of the reduction of kelp forests associated with the local extirpation of sea otters. Although we detected a reduction in kelp-derived carbon in rockfish diets, we found no shift in trophic level at sites occupied following the maritime fur trade. This implies a shift in local ecosystems, and particularly in carbon sources, following the maritime fur trade, likely due to a trophic cascade resulting from the local extirpation of sea otters. Stability in rockfish trophic levels, however, implies that rockfish continued to feed at similar trophic levels, consuming prey with similar nitrogen isotopic compositions.

This dissertation examines changes in Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact and early contact periods in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia). This was primarily achieved through the analysis of faunal and artifactual assemblages recovered from archaeological excavations at eight village sites in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (southernmost Haida Gwaii). In addition, extensive syntheses of early historic accounts, ethnographic descriptions, and previous archaeological work provide context for the interpretation of the archaeological data and complementary data on the economic responses of the Haida to European contact and the maritime fur trade.

The new archaeological data presented in this dissertation, combined with previously published results, form the basis of a detailed description of the nature of Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact period (ca. 500 AD to 1774 AD). Most notably, these data clarify a previously recognized shift from a more generalized, rockfish-oriented economy to a more specialised, salmon focused economy between 1,200 BP and 800 BP. These distinct economic adaptations, now widely demonstrated for southern Haida Gwaii, have been formalized as an earlier Xyuu daw Phase (ca. 2,000 BP to 1,000 BP) and a later Qayjuu Phase (ca. 1,000 BP to contact), both within the previously described late Graham Tradition.

While the maritime fur trade and the incorporation of the Haida into the European capitalist world system increased the focus of the Haida on the hunting of sea otters, altered the Haida seasonal round, and introduced new items of material culture, it had relatively little impact on the Haida subsistence economy. Salmon continued to dominate Haida subsistence, while the majority of the introduced material culture was non-utilitarian or was incorporated into existing cultural practices. In contrast, European traders were forced to adopt a degree of Haida tradition into trade practices, and in many cases were dependent on the Haida to meet their own subsistence needs. More profound changes to Haida culture, including the rise of Haida economic dependency on the world economy, arose during the subsequent period of increasing European encroachment and settlement.

To understand the effects of European contact on the organization, size, and mobility of Pueblo populations in the Southwest requires detailed knowledge of the occupational histories of the aggregated settlements that typify the late prehistoric and early historic record. Unfortunately, such understanding is generally lacking because the methods used to document occupational histories of settlements tend to either obscure fine- grained temporal distinctions or necessitate costly, and politically objectionable, large- scale excavations. To overcome these difficulties, we use surface expressions to analyze the occupational and population history of San Marcos Pueblo (LA98), an aggregated, late prehistoric site in the Galisteo Basin of New Mexico that persisted to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Field methods include detailed mapping of the settlement and systematic surface collections of middens. Frequency seriation, correspondence analysis, and mean ceramic dates of decorated ceramic rims comprise our principal analytic methods and demonstrate that the pueblo was abandoned four times before 1680. Causes of abandonment are discussed. Relative scale measures of population show demographic fluctuations with maximum aggregation during the fifteenth century. Despite demographic pulses, the pueblo remained vital until the terminal abandonment.

This paper covers the archaeological, historical, genetic, and linguistic evidence pertaining to the dispersal of chickens to the Americas in the historic and prehistoric periods. In addition it provides a detailed discussion of archaeological, radiocarbon,
isotopic, and mtDNA evidence from chicken remains recovered from the pre-Columbian site of El Arenal in Chile. Here we also focus further attention on the conclusions of Gongora et al. based on DNA sequences that came from modern chickens exhibiting some, but not all, of the Araucanian morphological traits. Questions raised by Gongora et al. are addressed using additional literature.This critical review upholds the original interpretations that the pre-Columbian chickens of Chile are most likely of Polynesian origin.