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Chronology
by Kristin A. Kuckelman and Scott G. Ortman
1
The most important goal of Crow Canyon's testing at Yellow Jacket Pueblo
(Site 5MT5) was to reconstruct the occupational history of the site. The
site had been subject to nonprofessional excavations for more than 100
years, had been mapped numerous times (e.g., Ferguson
1996*1:106; Ferguson and Rohn
1986*1:129; Lange et al. 1986*1:Figure
1; Malville 1991*1:Figure 6),
and had been visited by many archaeologists over the years. In addition,
Yellow Jacket Pueblo was the location of an archaeological field school
conducted by the Museum of Western State College (Gunnison, Colorado)
in 1931 (Hurst and Lotrich 1932*1:195),
although no actual field documentation has ever been located for those
excavations (see Gleichman et al.
1982*1:63; Wilshusen 1996*1:3).
Speculation about the history of the site was fueled by all of these investigations,
as well as by the results of decades of excavation conducted at three
neighboring sites (Sites 5MT1, 5MT2, and 5MT3; see Database Map 335)
by the University of Colorado Museum field school, led by Joe Ben Wheat.
Because these nearby sites appear to be associated with Yellow Jacket
Pueblo (Site 5MT5) and because they have evidence of occupation relatively
early in the Pueblo sequence, some researchers have proposed that Yellow
Jacket Pueblo was occupied from A.D. 900 to 1300 (Lekson
1999*1:9), or even from A.D. 500 to 1300 (Lange
et al. 1986*1:14; Wheat 1984*1:61).
As the first institution to conduct professional, well-documented fieldwork
at Site 5MT5, Crow Canyon believed that establishing a basic chronology
derived from excavation data would be an important contribution, not only
to our understanding of the largest ancestral Pueblo site in the region,
but also to our understanding of the archaeology of the region as a whole.
2
Tree-ring and pottery dating, as well as stratigraphy and architectural
style, were used to establish the general occupational history of the
site. Archaeomagnetic dating was not used, because none of the hearths
found were suitable for this method. We found that cultural deposits were
much shallower than expected in most areas, that the most populous occupation
occurred after A.D. 1180, and that Site 5MT5 was a sizable village until
the depopulation of the region in the late A.D. 1200s.
3
The time periods used in this chapter and throughout this publication
are the following: Basketmaker III (A.D. 500–750), Pueblo I (A.D.
750–900), Early Pueblo II (A.D. 900–1050), Late Pueblo II (A.D.
1050–1150), Early Pueblo III (A.D. 1150–1225), and Late Pueblo
III (A.D. 1225–1300). However, chronological inferences based on
Ortman's probability data for pottery types and design attributes use
the seven time spans listed in the discussion of pottery dating, below
(paragraph 17).
Tree-Ring Dating
4
Few wood samples suitable for tree-ring dating were found during testing
at the site. The greatest number of tree-ring samples at ancient Pueblo
sites is typically found in kivas; however, our desire to disturb intact
deposits as little as possible, as well as the impracticality of testing
large numbers of these deeply buried structures in a short period of time,
led to the decision to not focus our efforts on kiva excavation (see "Research
Design"). Of the 70 tree-ring samples that we did collect and submit,
five were datable and yielded the following results (years A.D.): 974vv
(Structure 704, trash fill), 1095+vv (Structure 1213, disturbed fill),
1101B (Structure 1206, disturbed fill), 1235vv (Structure 1213, disturbed
fill), and 1254+vv (Structure 1201, disturbed fill).(1)
5
The samples that yielded the three earliest dates appear to be from reused
beams, because these dates predate the architectural style of the structures
in question and the pottery found within them. These beams could have
been salvaged from one or more late Pueblo II structures at this site
or from nearby sites within the community. The A.D. 1101 cutting date
could date the time of construction of the probable Chaco-era buildings
at the site. The latest date, 1254+vv, probably accurately reflects late–Pueblo
III construction of the great tower complex.
Architectural Dating
6
Some characteristics of the architecture observed at Yellow Jacket Pueblo
indicate time of construction, including the presence of stone masonry,
the amount and type of dressing (shaping) of masonry stones, the type
of cross section of masonry walls, the presence and location of towers,
and the presence of a possible Chacoan great house. In the Mesa Verde
region in general, post-and-adobe aboveground structures and earth-walled
subterranean structures were built earlier than masonry aboveground structures
and masonry-lined subterranean structures. However, the transition from
earth construction to masonry construction did not occur at the same time
in all parts of the region, and it apparently occurred earlier on Mesa
Verde and in the Dolores River valley than elsewhere in the region.
7
For example, masonry roomblocks were common in the Dolores River valley
by the late A.D. 800s (Pueblo I period) even though numerous post-and-adobe
surface structures and earth-walled pit structures in the Pleasant View
area northwest of Yellow Jacket have been dated from approximately A.D.
1025 to 1100 (Harriman and Morris
1991*1:394–395; Kuckelman
1988*2, 1988*3:388, 1988*4:227;
Morris 1988*4:193, 1988*5:149,
1991*1:Table 5.23; Wilson
1988*2). In the Sand Canyon locality, a few miles southwest of Site
5MT5, post-and-adobe structures have been tree-ring dated to the 1060s
(Kuckelman 1999*1:Table 2.2),
the 1070s (Varien 1999*6) and
as late as the 1200s (Huber and
Lipe 1992*1). At Site 5MT3, just southwest and across the canyon from
Site 5MT5, post-and-adobe structures built in the Pueblo II period were
razed and replaced by masonry structures sometime after A.D. 1050 (Mobley-Tanaka
1997*2:4). Thus, masonry apparently was not adopted as a construction
technique in this part of the region until late in the Pueblo II period
or into the Pueblo III period.
8
During our testing at Yellow Jacket Pueblo, we observed no evidence of
either post-and-adobe structures or even postholes; all aboveground walls
observed were of stone masonry. We also observed no masonry that was a
single course wide. The cross sections of all masonry walls exposed during
testing (except for blocked-in structures) were of double-stone or double-stone-with-core
construction (see the field manual
for definitions of architectural terms). Two-stone-wide wall-construction
techniques were adopted later than single-stone-wide techniques in this
region.
9
The earliest masonry walls with double-stone cross sections in the Mesa
Verde region occur in Chaco-style buildings of the very late A.D. 1000s
and early 1100s (Varien 1999*3).
Chaco-style great houses in this region were constructed primarily between
A.D. 1075 (Lipe and Varien 1999*2:256)
and 1135 (Lipe and Varien 1999*1:299).
For reasons stated in paragraph
15 in "Architecture," we believe that Architectural Block 1900 at
Yellow Jacket Pueblo probably was a Chacoan great house. If this interpretation
is correct, then Block 1900 was probably constructed between A.D. 1075
and 1135 (because we did not test excavate this block of structures, we
have no other means to date it). It is possible that the A.D. 1101 tree-ring
cutting date from a sample we collected in the great tower complex is
a reused beam from a structure built in this village during the Chaco
era, although it is equally likely that it was salvaged from some other
structure in the community.
10
The stones used for masonry at Yellow Jacket Pueblo tend to be blocky,
rather than tabular or irregular. In the segments of walls exposed during
our testing, there appeared to be no clear correlation between the percentage
of blocky stones used in a particular wall and the estimated time of construction
of that wall as indicated by pottery dating. Nearly all structure walls
observed contained some stones that had been dressed, either by pecking
or flaking; a few building stones that had been shaped by abrading were
also observed.
11
Nearly every section of structure wall exposed during our testing contained
some rocks that had been pecked. As a masonry technique in this region,
pecking was developed later than flaking. Pecked-block, or "McElmo" style,
masonry did not become common in the Mesa Verde region until after A.D.
1100 (Lipe and Varien 1999*2:262).
Our data from Yellow Jacket show no clear relationship, in a specific
wall segment, between the percentage of stones with pecked faces and the
estimated time of construction (as determined by the associated stratigraphic
location of specific pottery types and the results of probabilistic pottery
dating). This is not surprising, given the variability observed at Castle
Rock Pueblo, for example, in the amount of pecking on the walls of different
types of structures and on the inside vs. outside faces of the same walls,
even though all of those structures were built in the mid– to late–A.D.
1200s (see The
Castle Rock Pueblo Database). Across the region, the exterior
faces of towers and curved-walled structures are generally much more intensively
pecked than the interior faces and, in general, are more intensively pecked
than either face of other types of structures. It is possible that, with
a finer construction chronology derived from tree-ring dates and a wider
exposure of roomblock walls, one could demonstrate an increase through
time in the amount of pecking on the exterior faces of roomblock walls
at Yellow Jacket Pueblo.
12
The presence of towers at Yellow Jacket Pueblo suggests the time of construction
of various areas of the village. Although towers were constructed in some
parts of the Mesa Verde region as early as the late Pueblo II period (Lancaster
and Pinkley 1954*1), they were more commonly constructed after A.D.
1150 (Lipe and Varien 1999*1:320).
Neily (1983*2:105) states that
towers were not constructed in the Hovenweep-Cross Canyon area, northwest
of Yellow Jacket, until after A.D. 1150 (Pueblo III period). Greubel
(1991*1:84) maintains that the earliest towers in the Hovenweep area
were constructed during the late Pueblo II period and were usually attached
to the ends of roomblocks, whereas numerous towers constructed during
the Pueblo III period were either detached or isolated (Greubel
1991*1:95). None of the towers identified at Site 5MT5 are attached
to the ends of roomblocks, and most are detached, suggesting that construction
occurred during the Pueblo III period.
13
In sum, on the basis of the times of construction of Chacoan great houses
in the region, we suggest that Blocks 1800 and 1900 (the great kiva and
great house, respectively) at Yellow Jacket Pueblo were most likely constructed
sometime between A.D. 1075 and 1135 and are probably the oldest masonry
structures visible on the modern ground surface. All aboveground architecture
noted during our testing at this site was of stone masonry more than one
stone wide and containing dressed stones. These construction methods,
along with the presence of towers, suggest that most structure walls exposed
during our testing were probably built during the Pueblo III period (A.D.
1150–1300).
Dating with Pottery
14
Pottery was the primary dating source used to reconstruct the occupational
history of Yellow Jacket Pueblo. Several factors, however, adversely affected
our ability to produce a fine-grained chronology. First, our sample of
sherds is only a very small proportion of the entire population of sherds
at the site. Second, undocumented digging at the site in the past 100
years has resulted in significant mixing of deposits in many areas of
midden. Third, in some areas tested by Crow Canyon, the architectural
blocks are so closely spaced that the boundaries of the associated midden
areas were difficult to define; therefore, we cannot be certain that,
across the tested portion of the site, the pottery sample for each architectural
block accurately represents the time of occupation of the visible roomblock
as well as of any earlier structures that might not have been exposed
during our testing. And, finally, the Crow Canyon pottery-analysis protocol
for assigning a pottery type to a specific sherd requires relatively more
design elements to be present for a sherd to be typed as McElmo or Mesa
Verde black-on-white than for a sherd to be typed as Mancos Black-on-white.
Many sherds that have characteristics of white ware produced during the
Pueblo III period do not exhibit enough characteristics to be assigned
to either the McElmo or Mesa Verde type, so they are placed into a third,
more general, category—Pueblo III White Painted. Thus, unlike Mancos
Black-on-white sherds, many sherds that were actually from McElmo or Mesa
Verde vessels were assigned to this more general category during analysis.
So the counts, weights, and percentages of McElmo Black-on-white and Mesa
Verde Black-on-white are probably deflated compared to those of Mancos
Black-on-white. Despite these difficulties, we believe that our methods,
as described in the following paragraphs, allowed us to work around the
problems and reach meaningful conclusions that are supported by the data
set.
15
We used three types of pottery data to establish the use history of the
site. First, Kuckelman used the stratigraphic locations of typed sherds
as temporal indicators; the firmest dating inferences were drawn from
the presence and location of typed pottery sherds within undisturbed stratigraphic
sequences in the 1-x-2-m units outside the north walls of the roomblocks.
Stratigraphic locations of typed sherds indicated when architectural blocks
were constructed, inhabited, and abandoned. When sherds were found beneath
a surface on which a structure was built, the earliest known dates of
production of those pottery types were used to indicate the earliest possible
time of construction of that building. Time of abandonment of a block
was indicated by types of sherds that rested on use surfaces associated
with the habitation of that block. In midden deposits not disturbed by
looting or animal burrowing, the types of sherds in the bottommost deposits
were used as indicators of the earliest time of refuse deposition, and
all typed sherds in a midden were used as general indicators of the full
span of habitation of an architectural block. Only the most conservative
inferences were drawn from disturbed midden contexts.
16
Second, Kuckelman used typological data on curated pottery vessels (Wilshusen
1996*1) from nonprofessional excavations at the site to make some
general inferences about architectural blocks that we were not allowed
to test. Approximately 106 vessels in the Chappell Collection (currently
housed at the Anasazi Heritage Center, Dolores, Colorado) were removed
from Site 5MT5 during nonprofessional excavations between 1930 and 1960
and have been tentatively identified to traditional type (Wilshusen
1996*1:Table 2). Field notes and maps associated with those vessels
have allowed the approximate original locations of many of them to be
determined.
17
Third, to assess periods of sherd deposition in the specific areas of
the site tested by Crow Canyon, Ortman developed a probabilistic technique
that incorporates chronological information from both traditional pottery
types and specific design attributes. Using this method, Ortman examined
the probability that sherds were deposited in a given architectural block
during each of the following seven time spans (years A.D.): 1020–1060,
1060–1100, 1100–1140, 1140–1180, 1180–1225, 1225–1260,
and 1260–1280. Note that the time spans do not all encompass the
same number of years. The details of this model are discussed in the "Artifacts"
chapter. In this model, the likelihood of the observed sample of sherds
from a given roomblock having been deposited during each specific time
period can be calculated using (1) the probability of occurrence of various
pottery types and design attributes on decorated bowl rim sherds during
different time periods (derived from a calibration data set), (2) the
observed counts of the same types and attributes in the sample of decorated
bowl rim sherds in each roomblock, and (3) the mean weight of corrugated
gray cooking-pot sherds found in the midden test units excavated in each
roomblock.
18
The occupation span of each tested architectural block was estimated using
a regression equation developed from the Sand Canyon Project Site Testing
Program (Varien 1999*2) database.
This equation relates the mean weight of corrugated pottery found in midden
test units to occupation span estimates derived from total accumulations
of corrugated gray pottery. Using this equation, the mean weight of corrugated
pottery across midden test units in each architectural block at Yellow
Jacket could be translated into an estimated time span over which sherds
were deposited in that area.
19
A calibration data set of type and attribute proportions from assemblages
at tree-ring-dated sites with short occupation spans was used to calculate
the probability that a sherd of any given type or exhibiting any given
attribute was deposited during each of the seven temporal phases listed
in paragraph 17. These probabilities were combined
with type and attribute data from each tested architectural block at Yellow
Jacket to calculate, for each block, a composite probability distribution
that yielded the probability of the observed sample of sherds having been
deposited during each phase. Then, the occupation span estimate and probability
distribution for each architectural block were combined to estimate the
occupational history of each block area.
20
A total of 66,151 sherds was collected during Crow Canyon's excavations.
Few of these sherds date from the Basketmaker III (A.D. 500–750),
Pueblo I (A.D. 750–900), or early Pueblo II (A.D. 900–1050)
periods. Sherds of the following types could be confidently dated to these
time periods: Chapin Gray (4), Moccasin Gray (4), Mancos Gray (5), Indeterminate
Neckbanded Gray (37), Chapin Black-on-white (4), Piedra Black-on-white
(1), Cortez Black-on-white (2), Early White Painted (12), Early White
Unpainted (41), Abajo Red-on-orange (5), Bluff Black-on-red (3), and Deadman's
Black-on-red (17). Thus, only 135 sherds (0.2 percent of the total assemblage)
date from before A.D. 1050. In addition, only one of the 106 Chappell
Collection vessels from Site 5MT5—a possible Deadman's Black-on-red
pitcher—is potentially one of the above-listed, early types. This
vessel was recovered from a human interment that also contained McElmo
and Mesa Verde black-on-white vessels, leading us to infer that if this
is indeed an early vessel, it was a curated item that was actually interred
sometime after A.D. 1180. The above evidence allows us to make a strong
case that the tested areas of the site (Database Map 264) were
not inhabited before A.D. 1050. The types of vessels in the Chappell Collection
suggest that this conclusion is also valid for some areas that we did
not test, such as Architectural Blocks 1600, 2900, and 3100.
21
The substantial number of Mancos Black-on-white sherds (1,123) indicates
that habitation of the site probably began before A.D. 1150. In the areas
of the site that we tested, however, Mancos Black-on-white sherds nearly
always cooccur with sherds of post–A.D. 1100 types, which, along
with the relative frequencies of types and attributes, suggests that occupation
of this site was, at best, minimal until sometime after A.D. 1100. We
have no way of estimating the total number or exact locations of additional
structures at this site that could have been built between A.D. 1060 and
1100, but which are not visible on the modern ground surface and were
not exposed during testing. Field records for vessels in the Chappell
Collection list a few interments that contained only Mancos Black-on-white
vessels. For example, Architectural Blocks 1600 and 3100 contained graves
that included Mancos Black-on-white vessel(s) and no associated later
vessels, according to the field notes. Block 3100 contained the largest
number of grave-associated Mancos vessels and is near the possible Chacoan
great house (Architectural Block 1900). Three additional potentially early
interments are thought to have been located west of the roomblock in Architectural
Block 100, possibly just south of the large depression (Architectural
Block 2000). These interments might be associated with the earliest habitation
of the village, which is thought to have occurred in the mid–A.D.
1000s.
22
A substantial number of sherds typed as McElmo Black-on-white (410) and
Mesa Verde Black-on-white (621) were collected during our excavations,
and many vessels of these types have also been collected during undocumented
digging (Wilshusen 1996*1:Table
2). Many interments that contained one or more Mancos Black-on-white vessels
also contained pottery of later types (Wilshusen
1996*1:Table 2) such as McElmo and Mesa Verde black-on-white. Mixing
of vessel types was also noted in interments at the smaller sites across
the drainage to the west of Site 5MT5 (Yunker
2001*1:202, 208, 223). Interments containing McElmo or Mesa Verde
black-on-white vessels were found in virtually every architectural area
where undocumented digging occurred. Mesa Verde Black-on-white vessels
were present in most areas, which leads to the inference that most of
those middens were used for interment sometime after A.D. 1180.
23
The results of the probabilistic pottery dating study described above
suggest that, although some areas of Yellow Jacket Pueblo were inhabited
between A.D. 1060 and 1180, occupation of the site was most widespread
and intensive between A.D. 1180 and 1280, and reached its peak between
A.D. 1180 and 1225. Although it appears that the village contracted somewhat
after A.D. 1260, sherd deposition, and therefore occupation, continued
in several architectural blocks throughout the final decades of Pueblo
occupation of the central Mesa Verde region. In addition, it appears that
architectural blocks located along the central, north-south "spine" of
the village were occupied for longer periods than were architectural blocks
in more peripheral areas.
Dating by Architectural Block
24
In this section, dating evidence is presented by architectural block
(structure-by-structure descriptions and dating arguments can be found
in The Yellow Jacket Pueblo Database). First, the time
of occupation of the block is estimated using field data (architectural
style of the section of roomblock wall exposed, and stratigraphic location
of traditional types of pottery). Tree-ring dates, if available for that
block, are also presented. Second, the time of occupation as indicated
by the probabilistic pottery-design data is presented, followed by an
estimate of the length of occupation as calculated using the accumulation
of corrugated gray cooking-pot sherds. These methods of dating did not
always produce identical estimated times or durations of occupation for
a given block, because none of the methods is precise or absolute.
Architectural Block 100
25
The architectural style of the section of roomblock wall exposed during
our testing in Architectural Block 100 suggests that the roomblock was
constructed during the Pueblo III period (A.D. 1150–1300). Both late
Pueblo II and Pueblo III sherds were found during midden testing; however,
the stratigraphic location of Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds indicates
that most artifacts in the tested portion of the midden were deposited
sometime after A.D. 1180. It is possible that a firepit on a use surface
beneath the midden slightly predates 1180. No hiatus in the deposition
of cultural material was defined in the stratigraphy. The portion of roomblock
wall exposed during testing rested on a lens of calcium carbonate on top
of undisturbed native sediment, indicating that there are no earlier structures
or deposits in the location of this test pit. Overall, our field data
indicate that Block 100 was occupied sometime after A.D. 1180.
26
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a reasonable probability that
some pottery was deposited in the areas of our test pits between A.D.
1100 and 1140, but the greatest probability of deposition is for the period
1180–1280. The accumulation of corrugated gray jar sherds suggests
that this area was occupied for 158 years.
Architectural Block 200
27
Two structures were defined in our test excavations in Architectural
Block 200. The architectural style of the observed portion of the lower,
earlier structure (Structure 204) suggests that this room was constructed
either very late in the Pueblo II period or, more likely, during the Pueblo
III period. The presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds in the collapsed
roofing material of this room suggests that the roof collapsed after A.D.
1180 and that the structure was therefore probably not built earlier than
about A.D. 1150 (the absence of a prepared floor surface or even a well-defined,
level surface indicates that the structure was probably used for only
a short time). The vertical location of Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds
also indicates that the roomblock containing Structure 205 (which rests
on a surface above the level of these sherds) was constructed sometime
after A.D. 1180. The presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds at or
near the bottom of the sampled midden deposits south of the roomblock
suggests that the refuse in the locations of our test pits was deposited
sometime after A.D. 1180.
28
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a low probability that pottery
was deposited in the locations of our test pits between A.D. 1060 and
1100, a reasonable probability that sherds were deposited between 1100
and 1180, and a high probability that refuse was deposited between 1180
and 1280. The accumulation of corrugated jar sherds in the sampled area
of midden suggests that pottery was deposited in this area for 230 years.
Architectural Block 300
29
The architectural style of the masonry exposed during testing in Architectural
Block 300 is typical of the Pueblo III period. The lowermost stratum in
a series of cultural deposits within our 1-x-2-m unit at the north edge
of the roomblock contains Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds. This indicates
that both this shallow midden and Structure 305 (in the roomblock above
it) was constructed after A.D. 1180. Deposits in other midden areas that
we tested had been churned by recent looting, but they contained Mesa
Verde Black-on-white sherds, which indicates that those areas were used
for the deposition of refuse until sometime after A.D. 1180. Deposition
in the 1-x-2-m unit appeared to have been continuous, with no evidence
of an occupational hiatus. Thus, field data indicate that the area in
the immediate vicinity of our test pit was not inhabited until sometime
after A.D. 1180; after that date, it was occupied or used continuously
until this area of the village was abandoned sometime in the 1200s.
30
The probabilistic pottery data indicate some possible sherd deposition
between A.D. 1140 and 1180 but the highest probability of deposition between
A.D. 1180 and 1280. The accumulation of corrugated jar sherds suggests
151 years of occupation.
Architectural Block 400
31
In Architectural Block 400, the masonry style of the section of roomblock
wall exposed by our testing (Structure 405) is typical of the late Pueblo
II period and the Pueblo III period. This section of wall was constructed
sometime after A.D. 1180, as indicated by the presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery in the lowermost stratum of refuse beneath the surface on which
this wall was constructed. This type of pottery was also found in the
lowermost stratum of the midden area east of the roomblock. There was
no evidence of an occupational hiatus in any of our test units. Thus,
the stratigraphic locations of specific types of pottery sherds indicate
that construction of the roomblock and use and habitation of this area
of the village occurred sometime after A.D. 1180 and continued uninterrupted
until this area of the village was abandoned sometime in the 1200s.
32
The probabilistic pottery data indicate that the highest probability
of sherd deposition occurred between A.D. 1180 and 1280, and the data
for corrugated jar sherds indicate 113 years of accumulation.
Architectural Block 500
33
The section of roomblock wall exposed by our testing (Structure 507)
is typical of Pueblo III construction style. The inference that the wall
was constructed sometime after A.D. 1180 is based on the presence of Mesa
Verde Black-on-white pottery beneath the surface on which the structure
was built. A short section of wall (Structure 508) appears to have been
constructed earlier, sometime after A.D. 1100. This inference is based
on the presence of Pueblo III White Painted pottery beneath the surface
on which this wall rests. The depositional sequence does not show any
clear occupational hiatus between the construction of the early wall and
the construction of the main roomblock; nor was any break apparent between
the lowermost deposits in which we did not find Mesa Verde Black-on-white
and the upper deposits in which we did. Pottery found during testing of
midden deposits includes Pueblo I, II, and III sherds. However, the earliest
refuse in the sampled portion of the midden contains Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery. Thus, the stratigraphy indicates that much or all of the refuse
in this architectural block was deposited after A.D. 1180.
34
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a reasonable probability that
some sherds were deposited between A.D. 1060 and 1100 and a higher probability
that sherds were deposited between 1100 and 1225. The data suggest a depositional
hiatus between A.D. 1225 and 1260 and then a reasonable probability of
additional deposition between 1260 and 1280. The quantity of corrugated
sherds suggests a total length of accumulation of 193 years.
Architectural Block 600
35
The exposed portion of the roomblock in Architectural Block 600 (Structure
605) exhibits masonry typical of the late Pueblo II period and the Pueblo
III period. Two use surfaces were defined in our test pit at the north
edge of this roomblock. Both surfaces were used sometime after A.D. 1100,
as indicated by the presence of Pueblo III White Painted pottery beneath
the lower surface. The roomblock wall rests on the upper of these surfaces
and so it, too, was constructed sometime after 1100. However, the lowermost
stratum of undisturbed midden in this architectural block contains Mesa
Verde Black-on-white sherds, leading to the inference that occupation
of this block actually postdates A.D. 1180.
36
The probabilistic pottery data show a high probability that sherds were
deposited between A.D. 1180 and 1280, and the accumulation of corrugated
jar sherds suggests that this block was occupied for 106 years.
Architectural Block 700
37
In Architectural Block 700, a subterranean structure of unknown type (Structure
704) yielded a tree-ring sample with a noncutting date of A.D. 974. We
infer, however, that Structure 704 was actually constructed sometime after
A.D. 1050, given the near-absence of Cortez Black-on-white pottery at
this site. This structure was located between the roomblocks in Architectural
Blocks 600 and 700 and was tested by a 1-x-1-m unit that was designed
to sample the midden in Architectural Block 700. The structure was abandoned
sometime after A.D. 1100, perhaps around A.D. 1180. The portion of the
roomblock exposed during testing (Structure 706) rests on undisturbed
native sediment; the masonry style suggests construction sometime during
the Pueblo III period, and post–A.D. 1180 pottery was found just
above this surface. The refuse sampled in this architectural block was
also deposited sometime after A.D. 1180.
38
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a reasonable probability that
sherds were deposited between A.D. 1060 and 1100 and a much higher probability
that deposition occurred between A.D. 1100 and 1225. The accumulation
of corrugated gray jar sherds suggests 150 years of deposition.
Architectural Block 800
39
The masonry style of the section of roomblock wall we exposed in Architectural
Block 800 (Structure 803) indicates construction during the Pueblo III
period. Mesa Verde Black-on-white pottery was found beneath the surface
on which the wall was built, indicating that construction occurred sometime
after A.D. 1180. The pottery data from the exposed use surfaces and the
sampled midden deposits confirm that this architectural block was inhabited
sometime after A.D. 1180.
40
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a reasonable probability that
sherds were deposited between A.D. 1180 and 1225, a high probability that
sherds were deposited between 1225 and 1260, and a reasonable probability
of deposition between 1260 and 1280. The accumulation of corrugated jar
sherds suggests 41 years of deposition.
Architectural Block 900
41
An earth-walled pit structure just north of the roomblock predates the
masonry structures in Architectural Block 900. This structure was abandoned
sometime after A.D. 1100, as evidenced by the presence of Mesa Verde Corrugated
Gray sherds in the intentional fill of a feature inside the structure,
as well as by the presence of Pueblo III White Painted sherds on the floor
of the structure. The exposed portion of the roomblock wall (Structure
908) was built after A.D. 1150 and was probably abandoned sometime after
A.D. 1180. The refuse in the tested areas of the midden was deposited
sometime after 1180. Thus, the available data indicate that this architectural
block dates from sometime after A.D. 1180, with an earlier earth-walled
structure dating from sometime after A.D. 1050. No occupational hiatus
was noted in the stratigraphy in this block.
42
The probabilistic pottery data indicate that the highest probability
of sherd deposition was between A.D. 1180 and 1260. The accumulation data
for corrugated jar sherds suggests 90 years of deposition.
Architectural Block 1000
43
In Architectural Block 1000, the construction style of the exposed portion
of the roomblock wall (Structure 1001) is Pueblo III. Mesa Verde Black-on-white
sherds were found in the shallow midden deposits. These data lead to the
inference that this architectural block was inhabited sometime after A.D.
1180. Only a few vertical courses were preserved in the exposed portion
of the north wall of the roomblock, and only a small quantity of rubble
was noted in the vicinity. Thus we suspect that this roomblock might have
been dismantled so that the building stones could be reused, possibly
for the construction of the great tower complex nearby (Architectural
Block 1200).
44
The probabilistic pottery data indicate that the period of highest probability
of deposition was between A.D. 1225 and 1260. The accumulation of corrugated
jar sherds suggests that this area was occupied for 13 years.
Architectural Block 1100
45
The construction style of the portions of roomblock walls exposed in
Architectural Block 1100 (Structures 1103 and 1104) is typical of Pueblo
III construction. The presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds within
and beneath the midden indicates that this architectural block was inhabited
sometime after A.D. 1180.
46
The probabilistic pottery data indicate that the highest probability
of sherd deposition was between A.D. 1180 and 1260. The data for corrugated
jar sherds suggest 63 years of accumulation.
Architectural Block 1200
47
The style of the masonry in Architectural Block 1200 indicates construction
during the Pueblo III period. The predominance of Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery among decorated pottery types indicates occupation sometime after
A.D. 1200. A noncutting tree-ring date of 1254+vv in Structure 1201 is
the best indication of the time of construction and occupation of this
architectural block and suggests that construction occurred an unknown
length of time after A.D. 1254.
48
The probabilistic pottery data indicate that the highest probability
of deposition is between A.D. 1260 and 1280, with a lower probability
of deposition between 1225 and 1260. The accumulation of corrugated jar
sherds suggests that this block was occupied for 20 years.
Architectural Block 2000
49
Architectural Block 2000 consists solely of a large, natural depression
and an associated north-south-trending berm; no buildings are included
within this block. The area was sampled with an east-west, 1-x-2-m unit
excavated through the berm, and a 1-x-1-m unit excavated within the depression
itself. Late Pueblo II and Pueblo III pottery (including Mesa Verde Black-on-white)
was found in use-associated refuse on bedrock within the depression and
was also found in the stratum that rested on the surface on which the
berm was constructed. The presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white pottery
in these contexts indicates that use of these areas occurred sometime
after A.D. 1180, although use actually could have begun any time after
A.D. 1050.
50
The probabilistic pottery data indicate that the highest probability
of deposition was between A.D. 1180 and 1280. The data for corrugated
jar sherds suggest 131 years of accumulation.
Architectural Block 2100
51
Pecked-block, double-stone-wide masonry construction of the exposed section
of roomblock wall (Structure 2103) and the presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery beneath the surface on which the roomblock was constructed lead
to the inference that Architectural Block 2100 was constructed sometime
after A.D. 1180. Only one vertical course was preserved in the exposed
portion of the north wall of the roomblock, and only a small quantity
of rubble was noted in the vicinity. This suggests that this roomblock
might have been dismantled so that the stones could be reused, possibly
for the construction of the nearby great tower complex (Architectural
Block 1200).
52
The probabilistic pottery data indicate that the highest probability
of sherd deposition was between A.D. 1180 and 1225, but there is a reasonable
probability that sherds were also deposited between 1225 and 1260. The
accumulation of corrugated jar sherds suggests 13 years of deposition.
Architectural Block 2200
53
The pecked-block and double-stone-wide masonry style of the exposed section
of roomblock wall (Structure 2203) suggests that the roomblock in Architectural
Block 2200 was constructed during the Pueblo III period. Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery was associated with the surface on which this structure rested,
indicating abandonment sometime after A.D. 1180. Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery associated with a use surface beneath the midden would have been
deposited sometime after this date as well. Thus, this architectural block
was inhabited sometime after A.D. 1180. Only a few vertical courses were
preserved in the exposed portion of the north wall of the roomblock, and
only a small quantity of rubble was noted in the vicinity. This suggests
that this roomblock might have been dismantled so that the stones could
be salvaged for use in the construction of the great tower complex nearby
(Architectural Block 1200).
54
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a high probability that sherds
were deposited between A.D. 1180 and 1225. The data for corrugated jar
sherds suggest 32 years of accumulation.
Architectural Block 2300
55
The pecked-block and double-stone-wide masonry styles of the exposed
section of roomblock wall (Structure 2302) suggest that construction of
Architectural Block 2300 occurred during the Pueblo III period. Mesa Verde
Black-on-white pottery is contained within the midden, leading us to infer
that the architectural block was abandoned sometime after A.D. 1180.
56
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a high probability that sherds
were deposited between A.D. 1225 and 1260. The accumulation of corrugated
jar sherds suggests a 31-year occupation span.
Architectural Block 2400
57
The pecked-block and double-stone-wide masonry styles of the exposed
section of roomblock wall (Structure 2404) in Architectural Block 2400
indicate construction during the Pueblo III period. The stratigraphy within
the sampled midden units had not been disturbed. Pueblo III White Painted
and Mesa Verde Corrugated Gray sherds were found in the lowermost strata
of these units, and Mesa Verde Black-on-white sherds were found in the
upper strata. These data indicate that refuse deposition began sometime
after A.D. 1100 and continued until sometime after A.D. 1180.
58
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a reasonable probability of sherd
deposition between A.D. 1100 and 1140, then a hiatus, then probably more
deposition between A.D. 1180 and 1225. The accumulation of corrugated
jar sherds suggests 59 years of deposition.
Architectural Block 2500
59
In Architectural Block 2500, the presence of Pueblo III White Painted
pottery on the surface on which this structure was built indicates that
the roomblock was abandoned an unknown length of time after A.D. 1100.
The pecked-block masonry style indicates construction during the Pueblo
III period. Undisturbed midden rested on undisturbed native sediment containing
Mesa Verde Black-on-white pottery, leading to the inference that the roomblock
was occupied until sometime after A.D. 1180.
60
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a high probability that sherd
deposition occurred between A.D. 1180 and 1260 and slightly less probability
that it continued through 1280. The accumulation of corrugated jar sherds
suggests that this area was occupied for 53 years.
Architectural Block 2600
61
Extramural surfaces beneath the level of the roomblock in Architectural
Block 2600 date from sometime after A.D. 1100. A mostly dismantled, masonry
structure (Structure 2607) north of the roomblock was constructed of double-stone-wide
masonry, indicating late Pueblo II or Pueblo III construction. The masonry
style of the exposed section of roomblock wall (Structure 2608) is pecked-block
and double-stone-with-core, which indicates construction during the Pueblo
III period. The 50-cm-thick midden deposits south of the roomblock contain
both late Pueblo II and Pueblo III sherds. The presence of Pueblo III
White Painted pottery in this refuse and beneath the extramural surfaces
that predate the roomblock indicates that this architectural block was
constructed sometime after A.D. 1100. The presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery on a use surface associated with the roomblock indicates that
occupation of the roomblock ended sometime after A.D. 1180. The pottery
in the tested portion of the midden suggests post-1100 deposition; the
large number of Mancos Black-on-white sherds indicates that this midden
could have originated from undetected late Pueblo II structures.
62
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a good probability of deposition
between A.D. 1100 and 1140 but the highest probability of deposition between
1140 and 1180. The accumulation of corrugated jar sherds suggests deposition
for 65 years.
63
The field data and the probabilistic data are somewhat at odds for this
architectural block. The masonry style of the exposed roomblock wall is
later than the time of occupation as indicated by the pottery data for
the midden. One possible reason for this discrepancy is that we excavated
our midden units in an area of early refuse deposition associated with
buildings that we did not expose, and we failed to sample the refuse that
was deposited by the inhabitants of the masonry roomblock. Alternatively,
this roomblock could have actually been built and occupied in the late
1000s or early 1100s and abandoned by 1140; this raises the possibility
that this compact, two-story structure with blocked-in kivas was a second
Chacoan great house. More data are needed to resolve this question.
Architectural Block 3200
64
The double-stone-with-core masonry style of the exposed section of wall
(Structure 3201) in Architectural Block 3200 suggests construction during
the Pueblo III period. The earliest deposits in this talus-slope architectural
block contain Pueblo III White Painted and Mesa Verde Corrugated Gray
sherds, which leads to the inference that this architectural block was
constructed sometime after A.D. 1100. The large number of Mancos Black-on-white
sherds indicates that the tested portion of the midden could have originated
from undetected late Pueblo II structures. This is one of two tested areas
of the site (the other is in Architectural Block 2600) that appears to
contain refuse dating earlier than A.D. 1150.
65
The probabilistic pottery data indicate a high probability that sherds
were deposited between A.D. 1100 and 1140. The data for corrugated jar
sherds suggest accumulation for 27 years.
Architectural Block 3300
66
No masonry or extramural surfaces were exposed in this talus-slope architectural
block. The types of pottery found in the midden deposits lead to the inference
that much of the refuse was deposited sometime after A.D. 1180. A lower
stratum of refuse could slightly predate A.D. 1180, but Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery was found in the refuse just above this stratum and deposition
appears to have been continuous. The lower refuse probably does not predate
A.D. 1180 by very many years.
67
The probabilistic pottery data suggest a reasonable probability of sherd
deposition between A.D. 1100 and 1140, followed by a hiatus, then a higher
probability that sherd deposition occurred between A.D. 1180 and 1225.
The data for corrugated jar sherds suggest accumulation for 21 years.
Architectural Block 3400
68
No masonry or surfaces were exposed in this talus-slope architectural
block. The cultural debris was very sparse, but included late Pueblo II
sherds and Pueblo III sherds. The presence of Mesa Verde Black-on-white
pottery deep in the midden leads to the inference that much of the refuse
was deposited after A.D. 1180.
69
The probabilistic pottery data indicate that the highest probability
of deposition occurred between A.D. 1225 and 1260 and that there was a
lower probability of deposition between 1260 and 1280. The accumulation
of corrugated jar sherds suggests deposition for two years.
Conclusions
70
All available dating information indicates that Yellow Jacket Pueblo (Site
5MT5) was a large village beginning during the late Pueblo II period,
sometime between the middle A.D. 1000s and the early 1100s. The presence
of a few early pottery sherds and corn-grinding tools (see paragraph
148 in "Artifacts") suggests some occupation of the site area before
that time, as early as the Basketmaker III and/or Pueblo I periods, but
those earlier remains are believed to be buried beneath the Pueblo III
architectural blocks in locations other than where we excavated. It is
also possible that there are earlier, buried remains in areas of the site
that we were not granted permission to test. However, most of the roomblock
walls that we exposed rested either on undisturbed native sediment or
on shallow refuse deposits containing Pueblo III sherds. Given the spatial
distribution of our test pits (Database Map 264), it seems likely
that, had the site area been intensively occupied before A.D. 1060, we
would have found some evidence of earlier structures or more than a few
sherds dating from that time.
71
It is not unlikely that the possible Chacoan great house and the great
kiva were among the first structures to be built at the site. A few additional
architectural blocks were probably constructed during this same general
time, possibly in the vicinities of Blocks 500 and 2600 and in the untested
areas west and southwest of the great kiva. Frequencies of specific pottery-design
styles indicate that there is also a reasonable probability that sometime
between A.D. 1100 and 1140 sherds were deposited in the vicinity of Architectural
Blocks 100, 500, 700, 2400, 2600, 3200, and 3300, although construction
this early could be confirmed stratigraphically and architecturally only
for the areas of Blocks 700, 2400, and 3200. Although we could find no
clear evidence of an occupational hiatus in the stratigraphy of any of
the areas we tested, the probabilistic pottery-design data suggest that
three of these early architectural blocks (100, 2400, and 3300) might
have been abandoned between A.D. 1140 and 1180, during a drought that
appears elsewhere in the region to have caused a near-cessation of building
construction (Lipe and Varien 1999*1:299;
Petersen 1988*1; Van
West 1994*2).
72
During the Pueblo III period, more specifically beginning around A.D.
1180, construction at Yellow Jacket increased dramatically, and a large
village developed (also see "Population
Estimates"). This large village consisted of nearly all buildings
visible on the ground surface today, with the possible exception of Architectural
Block 3200. Yellow Jacket Pueblo appears to have been a sizable village
until the mid- to late 1200s; most of the residential architectural blocks
tested by Crow Canyon were occupied as late as 1260, and there is a reasonable
probability that many were still occupied after that date. The political,
economic, and social implications of as many as 35 architectural blocks
being constructed during one occupation are impressive, as are the implications
of this large community center enduring for perhaps three generations.
This village and its community must have played an important role in the
late prehistory of the Mesa Verde region.
1Date suffixes (Laboratory of Tree-Ring
Research, Tucson, Arizona): B = bark is present; vv = there is no way
of estimating how far the last ring is from the true outside; many rings
may be lost; + = one or a few rings may be missing near the outside whose
presence or absence cannot be determined because the series does not extend
far enough to provide adequate cross dating. Of the suffixes appended
to the dates for the Yellow Jacket samples, only "B" denotes a cutting
date.
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