Pit Structure Abandonment in the Four Corners Region of the American Southwest: Late Basketmaker III and Pueblo I Periods

Abstract

Anasazi pit structures dating to the Basketmaker III and Pueblo I periods (ca. A.C. 500 to 900) in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest experienced a variety of different processes at abandonment, ranging from dismantling the superstructure to intentional burning. Data from 88 pit structures are used to examine the relationship between these processes and the causes of pit structure abandonment. Results suggest that burning was not usually the result of catastrophic events, such as accident or warfare, but may be part of ritual activities or even a response to insect infestation. The incidence of burning does not seem to increase over time as a result of the postulated transition of pit structures from domestic to ceremonial uses. Dismantled and trash-filled pit structures suggest that new dwellings were often constructed near abandoned ones, perhaps because the old structure was deteriorating. A few pit structures with human bodies on the floor at the time of abandonment may signal the desertion of the entire settlement.