Culture and Ecology of Chaco Canyon and the San Juan Basin

---- -------212 Chaco Project Synthesiswas shared and the technical attributes were seen oneven the most abundant forms. Based on the temperspresent, production took place at numerous locations.Probably not all households produced pottery, but atleast some produced more than was needed. Whetherproduction occurred on a seasonal basis or not couldnot be determined, nor could the amount of time spentat this task. The ethnographic record indicates that allHopi children master the skills needed for all sexrelatedactivities encountered through life; yet someexhibit better skills at some tasks than others and tendto develop specialties. The same distinctions occurwith groups; all of the pueblos are self-sufficient, yetsome (e.g., Hopi) who are known for basketry producedspecialized products. If specialization was at alow level during the Chacoan sequence, the greaterregularity in Chuskan gray wares would suggest anincrease in specialization. H. Toll thought that byA.D. 1100 it is possible that a combination of individuals,or perhaps community specialists, existed, buthe could find no class of very distinct pottery. Thequick rate of change, however, suggests morespecialization than purely domestic production.In summary, studies to assess the degree of stanardizationand specialization in ceramic production ledto the following conclusions (H. Toll and McKenna1997:202-205):• There is greater variability in narrow neckbandedand neck-corrugated ceramics betweenA.D. 900 and 1050, but there is considerableconsistency in production before and after thattime.• The least variability is visible in Pueblo II-IIIcorrugated pottery; its production correspondsmost closely with the fullest extent of the Chacosystem when its relationship to the Chuska areawas most pronounced (A.D. 1050 to 1100).• Change across temper groups occurs consistentlyon a broad pan-Anasazi scale.Lithic Data. Sources of nonlocallithics (locatedmore than 50 km from Chaco Canyon) are illustratedin Figure 6.6. The percentages of imported lithics forall times were much lower than they were for ceramics(Cameron 1997b:Table 3.8) (Table 6.10). Prior toTable 6.10.Period (A.D.)5008Percentages of lithic imports intoChaco Canyon by period. aPercentage5• Similarities in temper groups cross-cut suspectedproduction groups; these similarities were notedin size, rim measurements, and primary surfacedesigns.• Although there are some metric distinctionsamong groups, the distinctions are not strong.The trachyte-tempered gray wares consistentlyshow less metric variability but more surfacevariability in narrow neck-banded throughPueblo II Corrugated.6008700-820820-920920-10201020-11201120-12201220-132010324303312• The volume of imports from numerous areas issubstantial. This is especially evident for thetrachyte-tempered gray wares.• It is likely that there were multiple producers inthe various areas who supplied ceramics toChaco.• Taken from Cameron (1997b:Table 3.8).A.D. 1020 to 1120 (now A.D. 1050 to 1100) andA.D. 1120 to 1220 (now A.D. 1100 to 1140), thehighest number, 10 percent, occurred during the A.D.600s. The most common import between A.D. 1020and 1120 (now A.D. 1050 to 1100), when the total