When is a Great Kiva? Excavations at McCreery Pueblo

During August 1992, the National Park Service conducted archeological test excavations at McCreery pueblo, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. McCreery Pueblo is a late Pueblo II-early Pueblo III site consisting of a small masonry room block, a great kiva, a trash mound, and nine other features. Over 65 m2 were excavated at the site. Recovered were 5,128 sherds, 3,332 flaked-stone artifacts, 18 hammerstones, 15 ground-stone artifacts, and 18 ornaments. Numerous floral and faunal remains
were recovered as well. The main objective of the testing was to enhance the nomination of the site to the National Register, but the excavation also yielded data to address a number of research questions. There is good preservation of both architectural remains and normally perishable materials at the site. Chronological data suggest an occupation span between AD. 1000 and 1200. Although McCreery Pueblo is on the periphery of the Chaco system, no true Chacoan traits were discovered,
and the Pueblo appears to have been outside the area of direct Chaco influence. Subsistence and other data indicate McCreery Pueblo was a small farming community, however the presence of a great kiva suggests it may have functioned as a ceremonial center. While unroofed great kivas have a widespread distribution throughout the region, the McCreery Pueblo example is the only one known in the Petrified Forest area. As a ceremonial center, McCreery Pueblo could have integrated a number of smaller villages in the surrounding area, and may have been used by some of them as a winter residence or for food storage.

1992年8月，美国国家公园管理局（National Park Service）于亚利桑那州石化林国家公园（Petrified Forest National Park）的麦克克里里普韦布洛遗址开展考古试掘工作。该遗址属于晚期普韦布洛II期-早期普韦布洛III期（late Pueblo II-early Pueblo III）遗存，由小型石砌房址群、大基瓦（great kiva）、垃圾堆及其他9处遗迹组成。本次发掘面积逾65平方米，共出土陶片5128件、石片石器3332件、锤石18件、磨制石器15件与装饰品18件，同时还采集到大量动植物遗存。此次试掘的主要目的是为该遗址申报国家史迹名录（National Register）提供支撑，本次发掘同时也获取了多项研究课题所需的核心数据。该遗址的建筑遗存与易腐材质均保存良好，年代学数据显示其存续时段为公元1000年至1200年。尽管麦克克里里普韦布洛地处查科文化体系（Chaco system）边缘区域，但未发现典型的查科式特征，该遗址应处于查科直接影响范围之外。生计模式与其他相关数据表明，麦克克里里普韦布洛是一处小型农耕聚落，不过大基瓦的存在提示其可能兼具仪式中心的功能。虽然无顶大基瓦（unroofed great kivas）在该区域分布广泛，但麦克克里里普韦布洛的大基瓦是石化林国家公园范围内目前已知的唯一一例。作为仪式中心，麦克克里里普韦布洛或可整合周边多座小型村落，部分村落甚至可能将其用作冬季居所或食物储存场地。