Analysis of Leporid Remains from Prehistoric Sinagua Sites, Northern Arizona

Abstract

The Sinagua inhabited the San Francisco Peaks region of northern Arizona fromad625–1400. Analysis of leporid remains from 14 Padre (ad1070–1150) and Elden (ad1150–1220) phase sites indicates that the prehistoric inhabitants of the region relied heavily on both jackrabbits and cottontails. The bones are well preserved, and tend to be relatively complete and unfragmented. Body part frequencies and bone damage in the Sinagua assemblages are very different from patterns observed in samples from sites in the Great Basin and the Hohokam area of central and southern Arizona. Both of these latter areas seem to have witnessed much more intensive processing of leporids. The less intensive processing of the bones suggests that the Sinagua did not suffer from the extreme dietary stress that has been proposed for the Hohokam. The leporid index, which measures the relative proportions of cottontails and jackrabbits, indicates that the Sinagua assemblages tend to be dominated by jackrabbits. This contrasts with findings from other sites excavated in the northern Arizona area. The predominance of jackrabbits does not seem to be solely a function of environmental factors, and may reflect a garden hunting strategy.