Isotopic Evidence Linking the Southern Jornada Mogollon to Turquoise Mines in the Orogrande Mining District, Jarilla Mountains, Otero County, New Mexico

It has long been recognized that turquoise deposits in New Mexico's Jarilla Mountains were mined in the precontact period. These deposits, within the Orogrande mining district, are the only major source of turquoise in the Jornada Mogollon region. Here, we use lead and strontium isotopes to investigate the provenance of turquoise artifacts associated with Doña Ana and El Paso-phase Jornada Mogollon residential sites near the Jarilla Mountains. These results indicate that almost all the artifacts derive from Orogrande and establish that the isotope signatures of modern geological specimens from this source reasonably match the material mined in prehistory. We also document evidence for the presence of Orogrande turquoise beyond the Jornada Mogollon territory, especially in the Mimbres region. To further explore the distribution and exchange of turquoise from the Jornada Mogollon region, we suggest that future research focus on sourcing turquoise artifacts from both the Mimbres Mogollon and Casas Grandes areas.