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Late Archaic Totemism in the Greater American Southwest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Nancy J. Coulam  and
Alan R. Schroedl
Nancy J. Coulam
Affiliation:
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138
Alan R. Schroedl
Affiliation:
P-III Associates, Inc., 2759 South 300 West Suite A, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
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Abstract

Split-twig figurines, willow branches bent to resemble miniature animals and dating between 2900 B.C. and 1250 B.C., have been found at 30 Late Archaic period archaeological sites in the Greater American Southwest. Two different and geographically distinct construction styles, Grand Canyon and Green River, have been identified for split-twig figurines. Application of ethnographic analogy to the current split-twig figurine archaeological record supports the postulate that the two different styles of split-twig figurines served two different functions. The Grand Canyon-style figurines generally functioned as increase totems whereas the Green River-style functioned as social totems. This is the first example of increase totemism reported for the region. Ritual and social attitudes toward the animal and totem eventually ended and the last split-twig figurine was discarded around 1250 B.C.

Resumen

Resumen

Figuritas hechas de ramitas hendidas dobladas para parecerse a animals miniatures y datando de entre los años 2900 A.C. y 1250 A.C. han sido encontradas en 30 sitios arqueológicos del período a fines de la Época Arcaica en el Suroeste Americano. Dos diferentes y geográficamente distintos estilos de construcción, el Gran Cañon y el Río Verde, han sido identificados como figuritas hechas de ramitas hendidas. La aplicación de analogía etnográfica al informe arqueológico de las figuritas hecas de ramitas hendidas apoya el postulado que los dos estilos diferentes de figuritas hechas de ramitas hendidas sirven dos funciones diferentes, el estilo de las figuritas del Gran Cañon por lo general functionó como tótemes de aumento mientras el estilo del Río Verde funcionó como tótemes sociales. Éste es el primer ejemplo de "totemismo de aumento" informado para la región. Las actitudes rituales y sociales hacia el animal y el tótem eventualmente se acabaron y la última figurita hecha de ramitas hendidas fue desechada alrededor de 1250 A.C.

Type
Articles
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 69 , Issue 1 , January 2004 , pp. 41 - 62
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2004

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