Movement of People and Pots in the Upper Gila Region of the American Southwest

Investigating Material Culture Through Multilayer Network Analysis in Tonto Basin

“…This phase marks the end of recognizable occupation in the area until the historic period. Tonto Basin's position in a border zone between the Hohokam, Mogollon, and Ancestral Pueblo regions has received much attention (e.g., Caseldine 2022;Clark 2001;Elson and Lindeman 1994;Hill et al 2015;Huntley et al 2016;Lyons and Clark 2012;Lyons 2013;Neuzil 2008;Wood 2000). Of particular note is the presence of masonry roomblock architecture and pottery uncharacteristic of the local Hohokam traditions, which has been interpreted as Kayenta immigration into Tonto Basin (Clark 2001;Lyons 2003;Lyons and Lindsay 2006;Stark, Elson, and Clark 1998), although some have attributed the architectural changes to warfare or population aggregation (Oliver 2001;Wood 2000).…”

“…Tonto Basin holds great potential for archaeological research due to the large cultural resource management projects conducted in the region primarily in the 1980s-1990s (Ahlstrom, Chenault, and Anderson 1991;Ciolek-Torrello, Shelley, and Benaron 1994;Doelle et al 1992;Rice 1998), as well as the large number of syntheses and other studies focusing on the area (e.g., Clark and Vint 2004;Dean 2000;Elson, Gregory, and Stark 1995;Elson, Stark, and Gregory 2000;Hill et al 2015;Huntley et al 2016;Lange and Germick 1992;Lyons 2003;Lyons and Lindsay 2006;Lyons and Clark 2012;Neuzil 2008;Oliver 2001;Stark, Elson, and Clark 1998;Watts 2013). This analysis uses data from the Roosevelt Platform Mounds Study (RPMS), the largest of these projects (Rice 1998), to examine basic architectural data, typed ceramics, and data from a recent projectile point analysis (Bischoff 2022).…”

Material Culture Networks in Tonto Basin

“…One aspect of Tonto Basin that has caught the attention of researchers is its location in a border zone between the Hohokam, Mogollon, and Ancestral Pueblo regions (e.g., Caseldine 2022;Clark 2001;Elson and Lindeman 1994;Hill et al 2015;Huntley et al 2016;Lyons and Clark 2012;Lyons 2013;Neuzil 2008;Wood 2000). Of particular note is the presence of masonry roomblock architecture and pottery uncharacteristic of the local Hohokam traditions, which has been interpreted as Kayenta immigration into Tonto Basin (Clark 2001;Lyons 2003;Lyons and Lindsay 2006;Stark, Elson, and Clark 1998).…”

“…This migration into the Tonto Basinwas part of a larger migration from north to south and is associated with the origin of the Salado phenomenon. Salado pottery production was widespread across southern Arizona, but often the largest sources of production was centered at the location of a former Kayenta enclave (Hill et al 2015;Huntley et al 2016;Lyons and Clark 2012;Neuzil 2008). The connection between immigration and an important type of decorated pottery in the region suggests that sites with roomblocks may have higher centrality in ceramic networks.…”

“…Tonto Basin holds great potential for archaeological research due to the large cultural resource management projects conducted in the region primarily in the 1980s-1990s (Ahlstrom, Chenault, and Anderson 1991;Ciolek-Torrello, Shelley, and Benaron 1994;Doelle et al 1992;Rice 1998), as well as the large number of syntheses and other studies focusing on the area (e.g., Clark and Vint 2004;Dean 2000;Elson, Gregory, and Stark 1995;Elson, Stark, and Gregory 2000;Hill et al 2015;Huntley et al 2016;Lange and Germick 1992;Lyons 2003;Lyons and Lindsay 2006;Lyons and Clark 2012;Neuzil 2008;Oliver 2001;Stark, Elson, and Clark 1998;Watts 2013). This analysis uses data from the Roosevelt Platform Mounds Study (RPMS), the largest of these projects (Rice 1998), to examine basic architectural data, typed ceramics, and a recent projectile point analysis (Bischoff 2022).…”