Book
Early prehistoric agriculture in the American Southwest
School of American Research Press ; Distributed by University of Washington Press • Santa Fe, N.M : [Seattle] • Published In 1988 • Pages:
By: Wills, W. H. (Wirt Henry), School Of American Research (Santa Fe, N.M.).
Abstract
Wills proposes a new hypothesis for the adoption of agriculture in the Southwest that emphasizes social organization and the socioeconomic system rather than climate and the environment. He points out that hunter-gatherers will not acquire domesticated plants until it fits into their existing settlement pattern, foraging system, and annual cycle. He examines data from several sites to show a pattern of a more sedentary settlement system arising before the adoption of agriculture. Agriculture also seems to have been adopted when it allowed hunter-gatherers to more closely watch the critical resources in their area. For instance, in the Mogollon Highlands it allowed people to wait for and know when pinon pine nuts and deer would be available in the fall.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2010
- Region
- North America
- Sub Region
- Southwest and Basin
- Document Type
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Archaeologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Sarah Berry; 2010
- Field Date
- 1981 and 1983
- Coverage Date
- 7000–1800 BP
- Coverage Place
- Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, United States; Chihuahua, Mexico
- Notes
- W. H. Wills
- Spine title: Early prehistoric agriculture
- 'A School of American Research resident scholar book'
- Revision of the author's thesis
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-179)and index
- LCCN
- 88023591
- LCSH
- Indians of North America--Agriculture--Southwest, New
- Indians of North America--Southwest, New--Antiquities
- Agriculture--Southwest, New--Origin
- Southwest, New--Antiquities