The effects of Spanish contact on Hopi faunal utilization in the American Southwest

Abstract

Few archaeological sites in the Southwest have been documented, much less excavated, which contain occupations that span the pre- and post-Spanish contact time periods in the same way as Awatovi, an abandoned Hopi village in Northeastern Arizona. Awatovi provides a unique opportunity to study the effects of European contact on a traditional society. Using ethnohistorical, ethnographical, and archaeological data, primarily the zooarchaeological collections, a means of ascertaining what effects the introduction of Old World domestic animals had on Hopi subsistence strategies and bone resource utilization over time is explored. An intrasite comparison is conducted between the three major Awatovi sections: the Western Mound, the Hopi Village, and the Spanish Mission so that these effects may be studied. The prehistoric and historic Awatovi archaeofaunal assemblages are compared to the Hopi sites of Homol'ovi and Walpi, respectively, in order to identify possible sampling problems and animal usage patterns.