Archaic Southwest
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The Archaic Southwest is a term used to describe the culture of the southwestern United States between 6500 BC and 200 AD (approximately).
The Paleo-Indian tradition before that dates from 10,500 BC to 7500 BC. The Southwestern United States during the Archaic time frame can be identified or defined culturally in two separate ways:
- Agriculture, pottery styles and public architecture - People of the southwest had a variety of subsistence strategies, all using their own specific techniques. Crops included beans, maize, and squash.
- The absence of Formal Social Stratification, large cities, writing, and major architecture.
Archaic cultural traditions include:
- Sand-Dieguito-Pinto (6500BC-200AD)
- Oshara (5500BC-600AD)
- The Cochise (before 5000BC-200BC)
- Chihuahua (6000BC-250AD)
Many contemporary cultural traditions exist within the southwest, but there are four major ones.
- Yuman-speaking Peoples: They inhabit the Colorado River valley, the uplands, and Baja California.
- O'odham peoples: They inhabit Southern Arizona, and northern Sonora.
- Pueblo Indians: They inhabit areas in Arizona and New Mexico.
- Apache and the Navajo peoples: Their ancestral roots trace back to Athabaskan-speaking peoples in Canada. They probably entered the southwest during the 16th century.
[edit] References
Fagan, Brian M. Ancient North America. London: Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 2005
