Persistent Places and Socialized Landscapes in the Pine Lawn/Reserve Region during the Pithouse Period

Regional culture histories of the Pithouse Period in the Pine Lawn/Reserve region of the Mogollon in west-central New Mexico note considerable variability in site location, site layout, and ritual structures, with some increase in variability through time. Additionally, most Pithouse Period sites are occupied during only one phase, with few having evidence of occupation in two phases. Only three sites (Mogollon Village, SU, and Turkey Foot Ridge) have evidence of occupation in all three phases of the period. This paper explores why these three sites may have become persistent places throughout the Pithouse Period. I argue the reasons for this continued reuse of a limited number of places is tied to developing religious beliefs and concepts of landscape socialization.