The Early Dona Ana Settlement
Evidence for Early Doña Ana Occupations
As defined by Miller (2005, 2007), the early Dona Ana phase is contemporaneous with the Classic Mimbres period (AD 1000 to 1150) and is best recognized by Mimbres Black-on-white, Style III ceramics with El Paso Bichrome and El Paso Plain Brown. Excavations at the Scorpion site exposed the remains of an early Dona Ana farming settlement established on arable land watered from nearby Alamo Canyon. The discovery of this component provided significant new data on agricultural intensification and reduced mobility during this little known time period.
Dating the Component
The early Dona Ana phase occupations at the Scorpion site are distinguished by the presence of Mimbres Black-on-white, Middle Style III, dated in the Mimbres region from AD 1050 to 1110, and the El Paso Bichrome, with less secure dates from AD 800 to 1250. Although decorated types were uncommon, they co-occurred in Early Dona Ana phase features at the site.
The component was directly dated by 15 radiocarbon and 2 tree-ring determinations. Tree-ring dates are 1064vv and 1070vv, both from Structure 5, the largest and deepest at the site. Statistical averaging of the radiocarbon determinations produced a pooled, mean two-sigma calibration of AD 997 to 1146.
Site Structure
The Early Dona Ana phase settlement developed over decades. The earliest occupations consisted of a few dispersed, small and lightly constructed pit structures in the early AD 1000s. Through time, the settlement grew with the addition of more formally constructed pit structures around the AD 1070s. The settlement included a small but diverse artifact assemblage and a small number of extramural storage pits and thermal features. Human burials dating to the phase were recently unearthed south of the OCA project area.
One possible household unit (illustrated in the encircled portion of the Area 2 map above) consists of the adjacent Structures 4 and 5 and surrounding activity areas. Two storage pits, located 5 m behind the structures, were straight sided and ranged in volume from 96 to 174 liters. Refuse was discarded within the abandoned Structure 8 ca. 12 m to the north. Structure 6, a small, circular pit structure, may have been contemporaneous. Interestingly, all of the structures seem to have entrances facing north.
Structures
At least six structures dated to the early Dona Ana phase. Four were small, shallow pit structures that varied from trapezoidal to circular in shape and contained simple hearths and unprepared floors. They ranged from 1.98 to 14.7 sq m in floor space and less than 25 cm in depth.
In contrast, the contiguous Structures 4 and 5 were square and rectangular buildings with prepared floors and formal adobe collared hearths. While Structure 4 had a floor space of 9.36 sq m and was only 15 cm in depth, Structure 5 had a floor space of 21.6 sq m and was 30 cm in depth. Remodeling of the hearths and patching of the floors indicate some longevity for both.
Structure 5 also may have served communal functions. It is the largest, deepest, and most formally constructed building on the site. Construction material included ponderosa pine that had to be transported at least 5 km. The floor contained a Glycymeris pendant, pile of kaolinite clay, and the largest jar on the site. Although small in comparison to most other recognized communal structures, it possesses at least some of the same characteristics of formal construction and higher percentage of exotic goods.
Subsistence
By the Early Dona Ana phase, a shift was taking place in farming practices with an increased dependence on corn. Corn, beans, and possible squash occur in the Scorpion components and corn was ubiquitous, present in all but one structure and in the two largest storage pits. Wild plant seeds were also common. The marginal and terminal leaf spines of agave suggest that either fiber was extracted or the crowns were being consumed at the site. Hunting focused on rabbits and other small game. Lagomorphs (jackrabbits and cottontail rabbits) account for 96% of the total faunal remains identifiable to at least the class level while artiodactyl remains represent only 2%.
Conclusions
Scorpion and other Early Dona Ana phase settlements were concentrated on the alluvial fans, reflecting a growing intensification and increasing specialization in agricultural production. The labor investment in Scorpion construction argues for reduced mobility; however, the overall length and seasons of use remain unclear. The graphs below illustrate that the Scorpion pit structures were not as large or deep as those from Late Dona Ana settlements, suggesting that the site was not inhabited in the colder months or were not planned for long-term occupation. Less intense occupations are also implied by the lower frequencies of artifacts at the Scorpion site (for example, 1706 ceramics) in comparison to the comparably sized late Dona Ana Meyer pithouse village (13, 142 ceramics) or late Mesilla phase Conejo (7,785 ceramics). Corn and cacti pollen from the structures supports summer to fall occupation. Limited storage also could argue that early Dona Ana group, like the preceding late Mesilla phase populations, moved to more permanent winter villages with their provisions in the fall. As such, early Dona Ana group may have repeatedly inhabited the Scorpion site as seasonal farming settlement similar to the secondary villages postulated in the El Paso phase model by Mauldin (1986) and Forester (1993).
Forester, M.S.
1993 Archaeological Investigations at Pueblo Sin Casas (FB6273), A Multicomponent Site in the Hueco Bolson, Fort Bliss, Texas. Historic and Natural Resources Report No. 7, Directorate of Environment, U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Center, Fort Bliss, TX.Mauldin, R. P.
1986 Settlement and Subsistence Patterns During the Pueblo Period on Fort Bliss, Texas: A Model. In Mogollon Variability, edited by C. Benson and S. Upham, pp. 225-270. The University Museum Occasional Papers, No. 15. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces.Miller, M.R.
2005 Revision of the Jornada Mogollon Ceramic Period Sequence and Alignment with the Greater Southwest. In Archaeology Between the Borders: Papers from the 13th Biennial Jornada Mogollon Conference, edited by M. Thompson, J. Jurgena, and L. Jackson, pp. 59-88. El Paso Museum of Archaeology, El Paso.Miller, M.R. and C. Burt
2007 Miscellaneous Investigations at the Conejo Site (LA 91044/FB 46) Fort Bliss, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. Geo-Marine, Inc., El Paso, TX. Prepared for Directorate of Environment, Fort Bliss.
