The Diversity of the Postclassic Mimbres Periods (AD 1150–1450): Insights from Las Animas Village in Southwestern New Mexico

Abstract

The Postclassic period (ca. AD 1150–1450) in the Mimbres region is diverse and variable. Excavation data from Las Animas Village (LA3949) is used to explore this variability and better delineate the regional sequence. Las Animas Village is a large multicomponent site with Pithouse, Classic, and Postclassic occupations. Focus here is on the Postclassic component, a roughly oval adobe pueblo, two-story in parts, that surrounded a plaza. There was extensive evidence of remodeling; some lower story rooms were filled in and use of the second story continued, in one case the second story was remodeled into small storage units. Both ceramic and chronometric dates indicate that the adobe pueblo was used in the AD 1300s and probably after 1400; it has numerous late types though little Roosevelt Red Ware. Las Animas Village is one of the only eastern Mimbres sites known for this time period, and it may have been where remaining populations gathered in late prehispanic times.

El periodo Postclásico (ca. 1150–1450 DC) en la región Mimbres es diverso y variable. Los datos de excavación del sitio Las Animas Village (LA3949) se usa para explorar esta variabilidad y delinear mejor la secuencia regional. Las Animas Village es un sitio grande de componentes múltiples, con ocupaciones Pithouse (casas semisubterráneas), Clásico y Postclásico. Nuestro enfoque aquí es el componente Postclásico, un pueblo de adobe aproximadamente ovalado, en partes con estructuras en dos niveles, que circundan la plaza. Hubo amplia evidencia de remodelación; algunos cuartos del nivel inferior se rellenaron y se continuó el uso del segundo nivel, y en un caso el segundo nivel se remodeló para conformar pequeñas unidades de almacenaje. Tanto las fechas cerámicas como cronométricas indican que el pueblo de adobe se usó en los mil trecientos DC y probablemente después de los 1400 DC; tiene numerosos tipos tardíos aunque poca Loza Roosevelt Red. Las Animas Village es uno de los pocos sitios de la zona este de la región Mimbres conocidos para este periodo, y pudo haber sido donde las poblaciones restantes se congregaron en tiempos prehispánicos tardíos.

Keywords:

• Mimbres postclassic
• Eastern Mimbres area
• Adobe architecture
• Diversity
• Black Mountain phase
• Salado
• Corrugated pottery
• Las Animas Village

Acknowledgments

Our research at Las Animas Village would not have been possible without the permission and support of R.E. Turner and the Turner Foundation. Ladder Ranch personnel, including Steve and Janie Dobrott and Chic Wayne, helped in innumerable ways. The work at Las Animas Village was done primarily by students from the State University of New York, Buffalo; New Mexico State University; and Arizona State University. We are especially grateful to the site directors Michael Diehl, Diane Stoffel, Cooper Gilbert, and Jeannie Mobley-Tanaka. Numerous colleagues contributed ideas, insights, references, and help with ceramic types and tDAR, and with Baysian analysis: Will Russell, Karen Schollmeyer, Karl Laumbach, Toni Sudar Laumbach, Linda Cordell, Pat Gilman, Darrell Creel, Severin Fowles, Matt Peeples, Mike Searcy, Jeff Clark, Steve Lekson, Sarah Klassen, C. Dean Wilson, Myles Miller, Grant Snitker. Oralia Cabrera Cortés translated the abstract into Spanish. Thank you all.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplemental Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at 10.1080/00231940.2018.1466541.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by New Mexico State University, SUNY Buffalo, Arizona State University, the National Geographic Society [grant numbers 6980-01, 6612-99, and 52113-94], the National Science Foundation [grant numbers 0508001 and 1113991], and the Turner Foundation (four grants, 1993–2003).