Puebloan Prehistory of the Northern Rio Grande: Settlement, Population, Subsistence

In contrast to other areas of the American Southwest, the prehistory of the northern Rio Grande has been characterized by a marked lack of archaeological data. Recent investigations into problems of settlement distribution and intrasite organization, associated population densities, and subsistence strategies in the greater Taos Valley not only describe a distinctly northern pattern of unexpected cultural complexity for the period ca. A.D. 900 to 1450, but also identify an earlier Archaic component which was previously believed to be absent from the district. New data from excavation and survey demand substantial modification of existing reconstructions of Taos area prehistory and suggest alternative scenarios for northern puebloan cultural development.