Dr. Emily Lena Jones, Dr. Scott Kirk (UNM PhD, 2021, Archaeology), Caitlin Ainsworth (PhD Candidate, Archaeology), Dr. Asia Alsgaard (UNM PhD, 2021, Archaeology), Jana Valesca Meyer (PhD Student, 2021, Archaeology), and Dr. Cyler Conrad (UNM PhD, 2018, Archaeology) will publish The Community at the Crossroads: Artiodactyl Exploitation and Socio-environmental Connectivity at Tijeras Pueblo (LA 581) in the journal Kiva. This paper is a significant contribution to the understanding of Tijeras Pueblo, a large fourteenth community located in Tijeras, New Mexico. This research not only advances our understanding of the late prehispanic Middle Rio Grande region, but it also demonstrates the Department's continued commitment to researching collections from previous decades of UNM field schools, in this case those conducted by Linda Cordell (and Jim Judge) at Tijeras Pueblo. Many of these field schools remain un/underpublished; consequently, such collections-based research allows for new data and innovative interpretations to be drawn without the need to disturb additional archaeological sites.

Abstract:

Situated at the junction of two canyons, one north–south and one east–west, Tijeras Pueblo (LA 581) is within easy reach of a number of different ecoregions as well as on a boundary between two distinct culture areas, the Pueblo to the west and the Great Plains to the east. This position on the landscape may have created both challenges and opportunities for the residents of Tijeras Pueblo. While the elevation of Tijeras Canyon makes this location a challenging spot for maize agriculture, the large number of nearby environmental zones, as well as the social connectivity afforded by the pueblo’s situation, may have afforded its residents access to an abundance of wild resources. In this paper, we discuss the results from our analysis of the artiodactyl fauna from Tijeras Pueblo, focusing on what these data suggest about socio-environmental connectivity.