Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: In the Aftermath of Migration- Modeling the Social Consequences of Classic Period Migrations in Southeastern Arizona

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Under the supervision of Dr. Barbara J. Mills, Anna Neuzil will undertake research to understand the scale and impact of Classic period (A.D. 1200-1450) migrations into southeastern Arizona. She will focus on the Safford Basin and Aravaipa Creek areas, which have been relatively unstudied by southwestern archaeologists. Yet, many scholars have speculated that these areas experienced an influx of migrants from the north during the Classic Period. Neuzil's research will look at prehistoric ceramics, domestic architecture, and the structure of space on the surface of 30 sites to determine 1) the scale at which prehistoric migration into these regions occurred, and 2) the effect of migration on the expression of identity by both migrant and indigenous populations. Research on migration in the archaeological record has advanced considerably in the last decade, and Neuzil's project will take the understanding of migration an important step further. Migration is known to have played an important role in many regions of the Southwest, but very little of this research has addressed the ways in which people with widely disparate cultural backgrounds dealt with each other following migration. Neuzil's research will focus on four main types of evidence to identify and establish the extent of migrants in the archaeological record, and understand how the identity of migrants and indigenous populations changed following migration. Unpainted ceramics and domestic architecture will be examined for evidence of differences in their manufacturing techniques, which have been demonstrated to differentiate between populations with distinct backgrounds, such as migrant and indigenous populations. Similarly, the arrangement of space at the sites examined will be analyzed to investigate differences between migrant and host populations. Previous spatial analyses have shown that space can be quantified and interpreted to reflect the unique backgrounds of people and groups. Decorated ceramics will be used to place sites in a temporal framework, and examine how individuals and groups expressed their identity in the stylistic designs of these vessels. With these four types of evidence, Neuzil will not only advance the understanding of this poorly studied area, but also contribute to migration research with a potentially broad interdisciplinary impact. This research will have two main areas of impact beyond its contribution to the archaeological understanding of the Safford and Aravaipa areas and migration processes. First, the results of this research will be presented to Native American tribes who have an interest in the area. Although this research is not intended to demonstrate cultural affiliation between the groups that inhabited this area in the past and any specific tribe, the results of this research will be of interest to Native American tribes as they establish an understanding of the overall demographics and population dynamics of the Southwest from an archaeological perspective. Second, public outreach, particularly in terms of the dissemination of this research to the local Safford and Aravaipa communities, is an important aspect of this project. Neuzil will engage in public presentations and consultation on the development of exhibits at local museums, and disseminate publications written for the public throughout the course of this project. Furthermore, Neuzil will gain training in field and analysis methods important to her development as an archaeological scholar.