Malaria, Microbes, and Mechanisms of Change

Craft economies in the north American Southwest

“…Southwestern craft economies underwent changes following the introduction of monetary currencies, new technologies, and draft animals into the indigenous system (see James, 1997). Moreover, economic reorganization accelerated with the introduction of infectious diseases and reduced human populations, and as vast territories of the Southwest were abandoned or became less populated (Dobyns, 1991;Mills, 1995a, p. 221;Roberts and Ahlstrom, 1997). In some instances, craft "despecialization" (Dobyns, 1991, p. 552) ensued as traditional economies such as marine-shell ornament production were weakened or eliminated altogether, whereas other economies like ceramic production intensified, partially in response to external demand.…”

“…305-306;Reff, 1990, p. 286) not reflected in marine-shell ornaments? Trade networks certainly disseminated post-Contact diseases in the Southwest (Roberts and Ahlstrom, 1997). Perhaps the demise of large Hohokam towns along the major watercourses, with poor sanitation and higher populations, effectively eliminated the market for shell ornaments.…”