Prehistoric Ceramic Boundaries in the Flagstaff Region, Arizona (M.A. Thesis)

This study attempts test the integrity of spatial distributions of three utilitarian ceramic wares identified by previous researchers in the Flagstaff region—Alameda Brown Ware, San Francisco Mountain Gray Ware, and Tusayan Gray Ware—using a data set strengthened by more data and a wider geographic focus, and analyzed with more sophisticated techniques than those previously employed. With a total of 3,753 analyzable sites and a geographic extent spanning from the Mogollon Rim to the Grand Canyon and Williams to Leupp, the present study is by far the most detailed analysis of boundaries in the Flagstaff region to date. The resulting analyses identify temporal and spatial changes in the boundaries of the ceramic wares that are inferred to represent changes in the cultural boundaries of the prehistoric groups that occupied the region—the Sinagua, Cohonina, and Kayenta. However, even with new techniques and an increased number of analyzed sites, the patterns first recognized by archaeologists fifty years ago still hold true. The study utilized a suite of computer software including geographic information systems and spatial statistical programs, to transform raw ceramic count data into spatial boundaries. Unlike traditional “pen-and-paper” methods, a GIS can easily accommodate large data sets and, in concert with spatial statistics and geostatistical modeling packages, is capable of undertaking more complex analyses. The study also effectively implements a little-used chronometric method—mean ceramic dating—to assess the temporal aspects of spatial distributions in the Flagstaff region. The results of the study support the concept of the utilitarian ceramic as an index ware—a unique spatial marker of cultural affiliation—and suggest that it remains the best explanation for persistent artifact patterning in the study area. The study helps us better understand cultural boundary behavior in the region through the geographic proximity of inferred cultural frontiers and incidents of violence. Apparently violence, threat, and the need for defense were a part of everyday life in the Flagstaff region. Finally, the study provides some new insights regarding regional settlement patterns, ceramic production, and social relationships between the three inferred cultural groups. A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, December 2004.