The Paleoindian and Archaic Occupation of Grants, New Mexico: A Review and Reanalysis of the Grants San Jose Sites and Projectile Point Collections

Abstract

AbstractIn the late 1930s Joseph Toulouse Jr., Kirk Bryan, and Bryan McCann published two articles describing the archaeology and geology of seventeen preceramic sites near Grants, New Mexico. George Agogino, Jim Hester, and William Roosa periodically revisited a subset of these sites during the 50s and 60s, publishing three brief articles and collecting additional artifacts. Despite the importance of these sites to the history of preceramic research in Northern New Mexico, no complete inventory or analysis of the projectile point collections has been undertaken to date. In this article, we provide: (1) a brief history of the Grants San Jose collections, (2) an inventory of diagnostic projectile points, (3) an analysis of raw materials represented and geochemical analysis of a sample of volcanic dart points, and (4) a brief discussion of the collections’ implications for the pre-ceramic archaeology of the Grants area.A fines de la década de 1930, Joseph Toulouse Jr., Kirk Bryan y Bryan McCann publicaron dos artículos que describen la arqueología y la geología de diecisiete sitios precerámicos cerca de Grants, Nuevo México. George Agogino, Jim Hester y William Roosa revisaron periódicamente un subconjunto de estos sitios durante los años 50 y 60, publicaron tres artículos breves y recolectaron artefactos adicionales. A pesar de la importancia de estos sitios en la historia de las investigaciones precerámicas en el norte de Nuevo México, hasta la fecha no se ha realizado ningún inventario o análisis completo de las colecciones de puntas de proyectil. En este artículo mostramos: (1) una breve historia de las colecciones de Grants San Jose, (2) el inventario de puntas de proyectil diagnósticas, (3) los resultados de los análisis de las materias primas representadas y del análisis geoquímico de una muestra de puntas de dardo volcánicas, y (4) una breve discusión de las implicaciones de las colecciones para la arqueología precerámica del área de Grants.KEYWORDS: ArchaicSouthwestprojectile pointslithic analysisGrantsSan JosetypologyPaleoindian AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank Maxwell Museum staff Karen Price (Collections Manager), Chip Wills (Acting Curator), and Diane Tyink for their assistance. Likewise, we would like to recognize the current and former members of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture Staff, including Maxine McBrinn, Julia Clifton, Diana Sherman, and C. L. Kieffer for their assistance. This manuscript was also improved by conversations and correspondence with Karl Laumbach (HSR), Pat Hogan (OCA), Robin Cordero (OCA), and Christopher Merriman (UNM). We would also like to thank Kirk Bryan, Jr. for granting us access to the correspondence and papers of his father, Kirk Bryan, and the Harvard Archives staff, including Megan Sniffin-Marinoff. New Mexico State University Archivist Dennis Daily and Molly Molloy provided assistance in scanning and providing copies of reports generated by Karl Laumbauch and companies work at the Grants Women's Prison. The Spanish language abstract was generously translated by M. Lourdes Iniesta. Finally, we would like to thank Charles Harding for permission to access his property along East Grants Ridge in 2020.Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 All radiocarbon dates calibrated using OxCal 4.4 and the IntCal20 calibration curve.