PREFACE

There are two problems with this approach, however. One is that the local phases are developmental aswell as temporal sequences. That is, the phases describe changes in artifact types, architectural forms,settlement locations, and/or subsistence patterns that are by definition specific to a particular area. Whilethere is some value to generalizing those definitions as Katz and Katz have done, it is premature given ourrudimentary understanding of cultural developments at the local level.A better approach at this stage of research is to develop a temporal framework based strictly on changesin ceramic and projectile point styles that crosscuts the local phases and that is devoid of anydevelopmental implications. Because the units are arbitrary slices of time, sites can readily be slotted intothe sequence on the basis of relative or absolute dates. This would avoid problems like those encounteredin the Roswell area where sites like Fox Place and King Ranch could not be assigned to an existingculture chronology because their structures are unlike those described for the Sierra Blanca and MiddlePecos phases (Wiseman 2002:6). The temporal framework can also be used as one axis of a regionalsampling matrix to ensure that a representative sample of sites are selected for excavation. Finally, thisapproach does not preclude the continued use of local phase sequences in examining local culturaldevelopments and regional cultural differences.The second problem with the approach adopted by Katz and Katz is that it will be impossible to assignmost ceramic sites to their phases on the basis of temporally diagnostic artifacts, and it may be difficulteven with absolute dating. The majority of ceramic sites in the region are sherd and lithic scatters withrelatively small ceramic assemblages, which may mean that the absence of some of the less commonwares most useful for dating may not be significant. In rough order of appearance, some of the morecommon ceramic types in the region are: Jornada Brown (ca. AD 200–1350), El Paso Brown (ca. AD400–1300), Red Mesa Black-on-white (ca. AD 850–1050), Mimbres Black-on-white (Style II, ca. 850–1050; Style III, ca. AD 1000–1150), Chupadero Black-on-white (ca. AD 1100–1500), El Paso Polychrome(ca. AD 1100–1400), Three Rivers Red-on-terracotta (ca. AD 1100–1300), Playas Ware (ca. AD 1150–1519), Ramos Polychrome (ca. AD 1150–1519), St. Johns Polychrome (AD 1175–1300), McKenzieBrown (ca. AD 1100–1300, most common after AD 1200), Corona Corrugated (ca. AD 1225–1460), GilaPolychrome (ca. AD 1250/1300–1400), Lincoln Black-on-Red (ca. AD 1300–1400), and Glaze APolychrome (ca. AD 1300–1425 or later). Given these date ranges, the basic distinction is between sitesdating before and after AD 1100. For many of the non-structural sites in the Mescalero Sands, this may bethe only distinction that can be made. If some early whitewares are present, then a second cut can bemade between AD 850/900 and 1100, but those types are not particularly common. For the later ceramicperiod, additional distinctions can potentially be made between sites dating later than AD 1175–1200 andafter AD 1300.Because archaeological research in southeastern New Mexico has focused primarily on the Ceramicperiod, numerous culture historical questions have arisen relating to this interval.• When were cultigens introduced into southeastern New Mexico?• Was agriculture adopted by some segments of the local population or did Anasazi and/orJornada farmers expand into the region?• Was there a single cultural adaptation based partly on agriculture and partly on theexploitation of wild plant and animal resources, or was the region concurrently occupied bypopulations of farmers and hunter-gatherers?• To what extent are the differences in the material culture and settlement and subsistencepatterns noted in different areas of southeastern New Mexico a reflection of ethnicdifferences?• What are the relative influences of cultures in adjacent areas of the Southwest, SouthernPlain, and Trans-Pecos? How do those patterns change over time?• Is the local population Puebloan, Plains, or a mixture of both?4-17