The Community at the Crossroads: Artiodactyl Exploitation and Socio-environmental Connectivity at Tijeras Pueblo (LA 581)

Abstract

Situated at the junction of two canyons, one north–south and one east–west, Tijeras Pueblo (LA 581) is within easy reach of a number of different ecoregions as well as on a boundary between two distinct culture areas, the Pueblo to the west and the Great Plains to the east. This position on the landscape may have created both challenges and opportunities for the residents of Tijeras Pueblo. While the elevation of Tijeras Canyon makes this location a challenging spot for maize agriculture, the large number of nearby environmental zones, as well as the social connectivity afforded by the pueblo’s situation, may have afforded its residents access to an abundance of wild resources. In this paper, we discuss the results from our analysis of the artiodactyl fauna from Tijeras Pueblo, focusing on what these data suggest about socio-environmental connectivity.