MACROFLORAL ANALYSIS AT THE GIBBON SPRINGS SITE, AZ BB:9:50 (ASM) , ARIZONA

Samples from several features at the Gibbon Springs Site, AZ BB:9:50 (ASM) ,
in the Tucson Basin were examined for macrofloral remains. Based on ceramic
types present, the site appears to have been a village occupied for a short time
during the early Tanque Verde phase of the Classic period. The site is believed
to have been occupied for about 50 to 100 years and dates to around A.D. 1170.
This prehistoric village was dominated by a central compound with several
outlying house clusters or village segments. Samples were collected from a
variety of features, including structure floors, middens, check dams, and a rock
pile. Macrofloral analysis is used to address subsistence questions.
Specifically, questions regarding differences between resources found in the
structures within the compound and those in structures found outside the
compound, the possible presence of higher-status items found in or near the
compound, specific resources exploited, cultivated foods vs. non-cultivated
foods, and comparison of subsistence items from the Gibbon Springs site to those of an earlier time period will be addressed.