Aggregation and the faunal record: A comparative analysis of two sites in the Silver Creek area of the Mogollon Plateau

Abstract

Extensive analyses of faunal material recovered from the sites of Bailey Ruin and Pottery Hill have yielded data useful to understanding the causes and consequences of shifting settlement organization in the Silver Creek region during the 13th and 14th centuries. The faunal records of the larger, aggregated site of Bailey Ruin (200 rooms) and the smaller, earlier site of Pottery Hill (50 rooms) indicates that population aggregation was accompanied by changing patterns of faunal exploitation. Questions of changes in species diversity and abundance during this transitional period are also discussed.