Elvino Whetten Pueblo and Its Relationship to Terraces and Nearby Small Structures, Chihuahua, Mexico

Abstract

ABSTRACTSince the late nineteenth century, archaeologists have been aware of extensive terracing in the Sierra Madre Occidental of northern Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico; yet correlations between the hydraulic systems and associated cultural manifestations in the highlands have not been established. Excavation of the Elvino Whetten Pueblo and several small outbuildings, as well as examination of the adjacent terrace system, attempted, first, to resolve the problem of cultural affiliations of the various structures and, second, to determine the purpose of the terrace complex.Architectural, ceramic, and other artifactual data indicate that Whetten Pueblo is a highland variant of the Casas Grandes culture and was occupied during the Buena Fe phase (ca. a.d. 1200). Two nearby, small buildings, possibly field houses, were also associated with the terrace system, which probably had been constructed for horticultural rather than water and erosion control purposes. Because no artifact or datable material was assoc...