TY - RPRT T1 - Tree-Ring Studies of the Pueblo de Acoma: A Preliminary Report Supplement No. 2 Y1 - 1988 A1 - Robinson, William J. KW - anthropology KW - dendrochronology KW - new mexico KW - pueblo de acoma KW - rehabilitation KW - sky city KW - tree ring AB -

INTRODUCTION

Two final collection trips were made to the Pueblo de Acoma the week of May 15, 1988 and the week of July 19, 1988. The crew again consisted of the author and Jeffrey S. Dean, both from the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research.

Once again the purpose of the trips was to complete work in Area H that had been bypassed on previous visits. This work was in fact completed during the second trip, but the May trip was diverted to work in Area A and Area B because Area H was not yet cleared of household goods. We were fortunate during the May visit to locate a number of structures, uninvolved with the Restoration Project, whose owners gave us permission to core.

A considerable amount of time on both trips was spent comparing the plans of the Restoration Project with the plans drawn by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1934 (Nabokov 1986; see reference in the initial report). As a result, a concordance of the numbering systems was developed (Table 2) to serve as a measure of architectural chance between 1934 and 1988. One unit could not be identified with any certainty and the units in Area F are less than certain. All others are, however, clearly cross referenced.

PB - Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research CY - Tucson ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Tree-Ring Studies of the Pueblo de Acoma: A Preliminary Report Supplement No. 1 Y1 - 1988 A1 - Robinson, William J. KW - anthropology KW - dendrochronology KW - new mexico KW - pueblo de acoma KW - rehabilitation KW - sky city KW - tree ring AB -

INTRODUCTION

A second collection trip was made to the Pueblo de Acoma the week of October 12, 1987. The crew consisted of the author and Jeffrey S. Dean, both from the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research.

The purpose of the trip was to complete those units in Area H that had been bypassed in April 1987. However, since the expected HUD funding had not yet been received, the Restoration Project was not active and the Area H units were still unavailable. As a consequence, only a single unit was cored in Area H with the remainder of the work done in Area F and Area C.

In addition, we had the opportunity to survey Cebolleta Mesa and adjacent areas for living trees, particularly pinyon (Pinus edulis), that might be old enough to overlap with the beams cut in the mid 1600s. This of course would mean trees of an age class of 350 – 400 years; not impossible for pinyon, but relatively rare. We located two sites, one near Indian Lake on Cebolleta Mesa and one at Mesa Negra Spring at the western edge of the reservation. Both sites should be tested for tree age to determine if full coring is warranted.

For both these activities, coring at Sky City and reconnaissance, we were accompanied by Marvin C. Garcia and Dwight Lucario. Our accomplishments are due in large part to their helpfulness and good humor.

PB - Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research CY - Tucson ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Tree-Ring Studies of the Pueblo de Acoma: A Preliminary Report Y1 - 1987 A1 - Robinson, William J. KW - anthropology KW - dendrochronology KW - new mexico KW - pueblo de acoma KW - rehabilitation KW - sky city KW - tree ring AB -

INTRODUCTION

In the spring of 1986, the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research was contacted by the Laboratory of Anthropology, Museum of New Mexico regarding participation in archaeological clearance of the Pueblo de Acoma (Sky City) Rehabilitation Project. This project, funded by a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant, had been ongoing since 1982 but only recently had considered compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Section 106).

A meeting and field inspection was held at Acoma in September 1987 with representatives of the Sky City Rehabilitation Project (Vallo), the Museum of New Mexico (Ware, Adams, Ladd), and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (Robinson, Dean). This meeting resulted in, among other things, a commitment from the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research to participate in the archaeological clearance and to seek its own funds to do so. As a consequence, a proposal and a budget covering the field work was submitted to a local Tucson foundation and funding was obtained. In the meantime, the Museum of New Mexico continued to work with the Pueblo de Acoma and HUD in developing an application for a new Block Grant.

A second meeting was held at Acoma in January 1987 to discuss implementation of the cooperative agreement. In addition to the previous representatives, the Rehabilitation Project consulting architect (McHenry) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist (Harrill) were present. Specific clearance of Area H was discussed and it was agreed that the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research project should be implemented in advance of construction and that some sampling in Area C would be possible in late April 1987.

A final meeting was held in the council chambers of the Pueblo de Acoma on April 21, 1987 with homeowners in Area H whose houses were targeted for rehabilitation in 1987. In addition, the meeting was attended by First Lt. Governor Ray Histia, Mr. Greg Histia of the Acoma Development Authority, Mr. Dennis Vallo and Mr. Marvin Garcia of the Rehabilitation Project, and Dr. John Ware and Mr. Tom Livesly of the Museum of New Mexico as well as the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research crew. Discussions were held regarding scheduling and coordination of the Laboratory’s work and the concerns of the homeowners. Many homeowners asked questions about how vigas were sampled, how much time it would take, and whether any disturbance would occur. At the conclusion, all homeowners expressed satisfaction and real interest in the project.

PB - Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research CY - Tucson ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Dendrochronology of Bristlecone Pine Y1 - 1985 A1 - Ferguson, C.W. A1 - Graybill, D.A. KW - anthropology KW - Archaeology KW - bristlecone pine KW - california KW - carbon isotopes KW - chronology KW - climate KW - dendrochronology KW - Geology KW - isotopic studies KW - pinus longaeva KW - technical report KW - tree ring KW - white mountains AB -

INTRODUCTION

Since Edmun Schulman’s initial interest in 1953, the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research has conducted dendrochronological studies of bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D. K. Bailey, sp. Nov.) in the White Mountains of east-central California where living trees reach ages in excess of 4,000 years. The focus of this report relates to the support by the Geology and Anthropology sections in the National Science Foundation under grant EAR-8018687 for the period 1 April 1981 to 31 October 1984 with the assistance of the Department of Energy contract no. DE-AC02-81EV10680 covering the period 1 May 1981 to 31 October 1982.

A summary of this research was recently published in Radiocarbon (Ferguson and Graybill 1983). In most cases various facets of the work were related to projects sponsored by all agencies. Therefore the full range of activities during that period is described herein. The primary project goals were:

  1. To extend the bristlecone pine chronology from the White Mountains of California beyond 6700 B.C. and strengthen it by incorporating additional specimens.
  2. To develop bristlecone pine chronologies in new areas for applications in archaeology, isotopic studies, and other earth sciences.
  3. To furnish dendrochronologically dated wood to researchers engaged in the study of past variations in carbon isotopes and climate.
PB - Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research CY - Tucson ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Dendrochronology of Bristlecone Pine Y1 - 1984 A1 - Ferguson, C.W. A1 - Graybill, D.A. KW - anthropology KW - Bristlecone KW - bristlecone pine KW - california KW - carbon isotopes KW - chronology KW - climate KW - dendrochronology KW - Geology KW - white mountains PB - Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research CY - Tucson ER - TY - THES T1 - The Archaeological Interpretation of Tree-Ring Specimins for Dating Southwestern Ceramic Styles Y1 - 1963 A1 - Breternitz, David Alan KW - anthropology KW - Archaeology KW - ceramic KW - dating KW - dendrochronology KW - indiginous KW - lasting phenomenon of traded ceramics KW - pottery KW - site KW - southwest KW - spanish entrada KW - specimen KW - style KW - trade KW - tree ring AB -

The interpretation of approximately 5715 dated tree-ring specimens from about 342 archaeological sites in the American Southwest is the basis for “dating” the pottery types found in association. The time involved spans the period from the introduction of fired ceramics to the Spanish Entrada, approximately A.D. 1550.

The provenience and site situation information for both the dated tree-ring specimens and the associated pottery is tabulated for each site and site-area which has tree-ring dates, except when these data are accessible in the literature.

Criteria for establishing the validity of the association and provenience of the tree-ring specimens and the pottery are formulated. The interpretation and evaluation of the validity of these dates and associations is the basis for “dating” the various pottery types. The occurrence of pottery in “Indigenous” and “Trade” situation is presented separately; the pottery types in these categories are dated separately, in so far as possible, and then evaluated in terms of total distribution and context. Approximately 325 pottery types, varieties, and ceramic categories are dated on the basis of archaeological associations with tree-ring specimens. The data presented do not change the gross time placements of previous workers, but they do (1) refine some pottery dates, (2) reject others, and (3) give differing validity to additional ceramic dates.

The concept of “pottery type” is used as the analytical unit for dating Southwestern ceramics. The concept of “Ceramic Style” represents synthesis at a higher level of abstraction and does not lend itself to dating based on tree-ring material.

A progressive increase in the amount and range of traded pottery is noted through time. The increase in the distribution of various pottery types after about A.D. 1250 is also accompanied by an increase in attempts to make local copies of certain pottery types obtained by trade.

Decorated pottery types which occur as trade products tend to persist in later archaeological contexts and this situation is discussed as the “Lasting Phenomenon of Traded Ceramics.”

Southwestern pottery is distributed in prehistoric times on the basis of hand-to-hand or person-to-person contact and although the amount of trade and the spatial dispersal increase in time, particularly after 1250, this trade never reaches the same degree of institutionalization that is seen in Mesoamerica.  An associated feature is an emphasis on the trading of small, decorated vessels, as opposed to large, utility or undecorated, ceramic containers.

PB - University of Arizona CY - Tucson VL - Doctor of Philosophy ER -