Pueblo I Period

Pueblo I Period
Name	Pueblo I Period
Region	Southwestern United States
Dates	c. 750–900 CE
Majorsites	Dolores, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon
Precededby	Basketmaker III Period
Followedby	Pueblo II Period

Pueblo I Period. The Pueblo I Period, spanning approximately 750 to 900 CE, marks a pivotal era of profound transformation in the Ancestral Puebloan cultural sequence of the Southwestern United States. This phase witnessed the definitive transition from semi-subterranean pit house dwellings to contiguous, above-ground masonry roomblocks, the establishment of larger, more permanent villages, and significant developments in agriculture and social organization. It serves as the foundational period for the classic pueblo societies that would later flourish at places like Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon.

Overview

The Pueblo I Period represents a critical consolidation of cultural trends that began in the preceding Basketmaker III Period. Communities became more aggregated, constructing the first true pueblos, which were clusters of surface rooms used for both living and storage. This era saw intensified maize agriculture, often supported by simple irrigation techniques, and a greater reliance on domesticated turkeys. The period is characterized by significant technological and artistic advancements in pottery, particularly the widespread production of decorated black-on-white wares. These changes laid the essential groundwork for the complex societies, long-distance exchange networks, and monumental architecture that defined the subsequent Pueblo II Period and Pueblo III Period.

Chronology and Dating

The Pueblo I Period is traditionally dated from about 750 to 900 CE, though regional variations exist. These dates are primarily established through dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) of architectural timbers and radiocarbon dating of organic materials from archaeological contexts. The transition from the Basketmaker III Period is not abrupt but is marked by the architectural shift from isolated pit structures to integrated surface roomblocks. The period's end is generally associated with a significant reorganization and depopulation of the San Juan River drainage and other areas, leading to migrations and the coalescence of populations in regions that would become central during the Pueblo II Period, such as Chaco Canyon. Scholars like Stephen H. Lekson have contributed to refining this chronological framework through extensive research in the Four Corners region.

Settlement Patterns and Architecture

Settlement patterns shifted dramatically, with populations aggregating into larger, more formal villages often situated on mesa tops or ridges overlooking arable land. The defining architectural feature is the surface pueblo, consisting of linear or crescent-shaped roomblocks made of coursed masonry or jacal (wattle-and-daub) construction. These roomblocks were typically fronted by a plaza containing one or more large, subterranean kivas, which served as ceremonial and social structures. A common Pueblo I village layout, seen at sites studied by the Dolores Archaeological Program in Colorado, includes a row of domestic and storage rooms with a central, shared kiva. This arrangement reflects a growing sense of community identity and more complex social organization compared to the scattered homesteads of the Basketmaker era.

Material Culture and Technology

Material culture saw significant innovation, most notably in ceramics. Pottery became more diverse and technically refined, with the widespread production of corrugated gray ware for cooking and storage, and decorated black-on-white ware for serving. Styles such as Mesa Verde Black-on-white have their origins in this period. Stone tool technology continued with the manufacture of projectile points, manos, and metates for processing maize. The use of the atl-atl for hunting was largely replaced by the bow and arrow, which had been adopted earlier. Textiles, including finely woven baskets and turkey feather blankets, were important, as evidenced by artifacts preserved in dry caves like those found near Kayenta.

Social Organization and Subsistence

Social organization likely evolved toward more formalized kin-based groups, possibly lineages or clans, as suggested by the planned layout of roomblocks and associated kivas. Subsistence was heavily based on agriculture, with communities cultivating maize, beans, and squash using floodwater farming and, in some areas, simple irrigation ditches. Hunting of game such as mule deer and cottontail rabbit remained important, while the domestication of turkeys provided a reliable source of feathers and meat. Storage of surplus crops in masonry rooms indicates planning for seasonal shortages and may reflect the beginnings of social differentiation, though society remained largely egalitarian compared to later periods at Chaco.

Regional Variations and Key Sites

Significant regional diversity existed during this period. In the Mesa Verde region, villages like those in the Dolores River valley, extensively excavated by the Dolores Archaeological Program, show dense concentrations of pueblos. In the Chaco Canyon area, early Pueblo I structures are found beneath the great houses of the Pueblo Bonito complex. The Kayenta region in northern Arizona exhibits its own architectural and ceramic traditions. Other key sites include Grass Mesa Village and the McPhee Village complex in Colorado. Research by institutions such as the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center has been instrumental in understanding these regional developments, which set the stage for the florescence of distinct cultural traditions in the following centuries.

Category:Ancestral Puebloan periods Category:Archaeological periods of North America Category:History of the Southwestern United States