CULTURAL CONTINUITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATIVE ARCHITECTURE IN THE NORTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF NEW MEXICO, A.D. 600–1200

Abstract

Cultural developments in the northern Rio Grande are often argued to be the result of emigrating Anasazi groups from the San Juan basin and Mesa Verde regions of northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado. The scarcity of Anasazi architectural traits in the northern Rio Grande, including aggregated settlements and the apparent lack of integrative structures or kivas prior to A.D. 1200 is often used to support this argument. The present study of excavated structures dating between A.D. 600 and A.D. 1200 shows that more than 600 years of development resulted in the formalization of an architectural tradition distinctive to the northern Rio Grande region. Diachronic patterns indicate that vernacular building practices and architectural style maintained by northern Rio Grande Developmental period populations continually meet household and community requirements. This architectural tradition likely facilitated the dissemination of culturally meaningful information promoting solidarity, cultural identity, and community integration.

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