Indigenous Pottery from Sonora, Mexico: Examining Typologies and Spatial Distribution

A wealth of archaeological surveys and excavations has been conducted in Sonora, Mexico within the past century. Despite the establishment of Centro INAH Sonora, and numerous binational projects, little attempt has been made to synthesize the state’s growing literature. This thesis provides the first detailed study of indigenous ceramics from Sonora, Mexico. Archaeological projects within Sonora have been bifurcated by nation-state boundaries and divergent academic schooling—both possessing their own distinct research goals and methodologies. On a pragmatic level, a synthesis of prehistoric and protohistoric Sonoran pottery is necessary to establish a methodological consensus for classifications and typologies. On a broader level, prehistoric Sonora rests at the center of two long-standing debates: (1) the relationship between nascent pottery production, agriculture, and sedentism and (2) the state’s prehistoric connectivity with the Southwest/Northwest and Mesoamerica. Systematic analysis of ceramics from the entire state provides critical information for answering these large-scale questions

Preliminary Results of Magnetic Gradiometry and Photogrammetric Imagery from La Playa, Sonora, Mexico (SON F:10:3)

Covering an area of nearly ten square kilometers, La Playa (SON F:10:3) is one of the most important archaeological sites in northwest Mexico. While La Playa has been best known for its Early Agricultural occupation, this research, funded through National Geographic, targets the poorly understood origins of the Trincheras Tradition. This poster presents initial results of magnetic gradiometry and photogrammetric imagery collected from the site in April 2017 as part of the ongoing binational project Proyecto La Playa. Along with magnetic gradiometry data collection, several unmanned aerial vehicle flights with a Trimble UX5 captured photogrammetric images of the site. This data has yielded the possible presence of irrigation canals, pithouses, and thermal features. With erosion damaging much of La Playa, this research documents at-risk features for future excavation