Bioarchaeology of violence and site abandonment at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico

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dc.contributor.authorCasserino, Christopher Michael, 1967-
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-19T22:41:45Z
dc.date.available2010-02-19T22:41:45Z
dc.date.issued2009-06
dc.descriptionxvii, 133 p. : ill., maps. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.en_US
dc.description.abstractThe objective of this dissertation is to address violence at the archaeological site of Casas Grandes (Paquimé) in northwest Chihuahua, Mexico. The reasons for the abandonment of Paquimé are uncertain. The prevailing theory claims this geographic area endured centuries of warfare, ritual sacrifice, and at least one massacre; this theory is supported by numerous unburied bodies recovered at the site. These assertions of violence have never been corroborated by osteological data. Data were collected from a sample of Medio period (A.D. 1200-1450) human skeletal remains recovered from the 1958-1961 excavations at Casas Grandes. These data were synthesized with accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dates, fluoride ion dates, population demographics, and burial context. Frequencies of ante-, peri-, and postmortem trauma were compared to other studies from the Old and New Worlds. I argue that warfare was not endemic to this region and that a massacre did not occur. Moreover, cannibalism and probably human sacrifice were practiced. I assert that these activities may have been related to the proliferation of the Mesoamerican ballgame in the American Southwest and to Paquimé's role as the distribution center of the region's ritual and exotic goods. This dissertation underscores the importance of including skeletal analysis with other lines of archaeological inquiry when answering questions about human behavior.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipCommittee in charge: John Lukacs, Chairperson, Anthropology; Guy Tasa, Member, Anthropology; Frances White, Member, Anthropology; John Orbell, Outside Member, Political Scienceen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/10202
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregonen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesUniversity of Oregon theses, Dept. of Anthropology, Ph. D., 2009;
dc.subjectHuman osteologyen_US
dc.subjectNorthwest Mexicoen_US
dc.subjectCasas Grandes Site (Mexico)en_US
dc.subjectWarfareen_US
dc.subjectCannibalismen_US
dc.subjectHuman sacrificeen_US
dc.subjectViolenceen_US
dc.subjectSite abandonmenten_US
dc.subjectChihuahua (Mexico : State)en_US
dc.subjectMexicoen_US
dc.subjectArchaeologyen_US
dc.subjectPhysical anthropologyen_US
dc.titleBioarchaeology of violence and site abandonment at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexicoen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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