The Stratigraphy and Chronology of Point of Pines Pueblo: Basic Facts that Underlie Complex Inferences Regarding Interactions Between Locals and Immigrants

Abstract

Point of Pines Pueblo has long been central to discussions about ancient migrations and interactions between locals and immigrants in the U.S. Southwest. However, a lack of systematic analyses of collections from the site and a dearth of published data about them have left generations of researchers in the position of having to make assumptions about social processes that unfolded in the Point of Pines region. Here, we present the results of new analyses establishing basic facts that will eventually allow a more accurate reconstruction of social dynamics at Point of Pines Pueblo. We focus on stratigraphy, ceramics, dendrochronological data, and wall bonding/abutment information. We conclude that most of the pitstructures at the site date to the thirteenth century, the earliest above-ground architecture was built during the late 1200s, the early pueblo architecture was constructed by immigrants, and the Kayenta immigrant occupation involved considerable planning and coordinated action.

Point of Pines Pueblo ha estado durante mucho tiempo en el centro de las discusiones sobre las migraciones antiguas y las interacciones entre lugareños e inmigrantes en el suroeste de los Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, la falta de análisis sistemáticos de las colecciones del sitio y la escasez de datos publicados sobre ellas han dejado a generaciones de investigadores en la posición de tener que hacer suposiciones sobre los procesos sociales que se desarrollaron en la región de Point of Pines. Aquí presentamos los resultados de nuevos análisis que establecen hechos básicos que eventualmente permitirán una reconstrucción más precisa de la dinámica social en Point of Pines Pueblo. Nos centramos en la estratigrafía, la cerámica, los datos dendrocronológicos y la información sobre contrafuerte/unión de paredes. Concluimos que la mayoría de las estructuras de fosa en el sitio datan del siglo XIII; la primera arquitectura de superficie se construyó a finales del siglo XII; la arquitectura del pueblo temprano fue construida por inmigrantes; y la ocupación de inmigrantes de Kayenta implicó una planificación considerable y una acción coordinada.

KEYWORDS:

• Point of Pines
• Maverick Mountain phase
• Maverick Mountain Series
• Kayenta
• migration
• ceramics
• architecture
• dendrochronology

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Carol Gifford Jelinek, who graciously read and offered many helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. We are also grateful to the three anonymous colleagues who reviewed our submission as well as the editor, Thomas R. Rocek. Their thoughtful suggestions improved our paper considerably.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

The artifacts and archival records discussed in this study are curated by the Arizona State Museum, a unit of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Access to the data presented and the collections discussed is available upon request.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 Henceforth, pitstructures other than Kiva 3 (the D-shaped kiva at AZ W:10:50) are referred to using a composite designation consisting of site number (e.g., “51” for AZ W:10:51), a period, and pitstructure number.

2 Prior to June 1952, what is now called Maverick Mountain Polychrome was referred to as Point of Pines Polychrome and what is now called Point of Pines Polychrome was referred to as “soft–paste Fourmile Polychrome,” “local Fourmile Polychrome,” or Fourmile Polychrome: Point of Pines Variety (Wendorf 1950:43–45).

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Arizona State Museum and generous donors to the Arizona State Museum who support who the research of the senior author.