Interpreting and Reinterpreting Sacred Ridge: Placing Extreme Processing in a Larger Context

Abstract

Assemblages consisting of fragmented, cut, and burned human bone in the prehistoric Southwest have a long history of both analysis and controversy. How do we interpret violence and destruction of the body that occurred hundreds to thousands of years ago? Two basic models have emerged with regard to these assemblages: cannibalism (as primarily codified by the work of Turner) and extreme processing (as developed by Kuckelman and colleagues). These two models are discussed in this article, as is their development and interpretive power. Through the lens of Sacred Ridge, a large Pueblo I assemblage dating to approximately A.D. 810 in southwestern Colorado, the different interpretations of violence in the Southwest are interrogated. This study highlights the importance of placing assemblages that are heavily fragmented with high degrees of perimortem violence, tool marks, and burning into larger regional and temporal contexts.

Los conjuntos que consisten de huesos humanos fragmentados, cortados y quemados en el Suroeste prehistórico tienen una larga historia de análisis y controversia. ¿Cómo interpretamos la violencia y la destrucción del cuerpo que ocurrió hace cientos o miles de años? Dos modelos básicos han emergido con respecto a estos conjuntos: el canibalismo (principalmente codificado por el trabajo de Turner) y el procesamiento extremo (PE, desarrollado por Kuckelman y colegas). Estos dos modelos se discuten en este artículo, así como su desarrollo y poder interpretativo. Desde el punto de vista de Sacred Ridge, que es un conjunto de tamaño grande del periodo Pueblo I que data de aproximadamente A.D. 810 y que se ubica en el suroeste de Colorado, se pueden resaltar las diferentes interpretaciones de violencia en el Suroeste. Este artículo destaca la importancia de colocar los conjuntos que se encuentran muy fragmentados con altos grados de violencia perimortem, marcas de herramientas y quemaduras en contextos regionales y temporales más amplios.

KEYWORDS:

• Bioarchaeology
• Sacred Ridge
• Violence

Acknowledgments

Many thanks are owed to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Acoma Pueblo for the opportunity to analyze remains from Sacred Ridge, Durango, CO office to SWCA Environmental Consultants for the opportunity to work with the assemblages, and the individuals should include Elizabeth Perry, Ann LW Stodder, James Potter, and the rest of the staff at the Durango and Salt Lake City offices at SWCA who provided assistance and support throughout the analysis. Special thanks are also owed to Dr. Debra Martin for the opportunity to put together this collection of papers for Kiva and to the other authors in this special issue for their hard work and dedication.

ORCID

Anna J. Osterholtz http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8437-9147