Patterns of Defense on Perry Mesa: Implications for Prehistoric Legacies

A common issue of the Legacies on the Landscape project in the Perry Mesa region in Central Arizona is determining if the differences in the landscape are the result of prehistoric land use or if these differences in ecosystem structure represent a preexisting landscape patchiness that attracted prehistoric people to certain locales. This analysis investigates the settlement patterns of Perry Mesa as they relate to warfare and/or the perceived threat of warfare in the region. Perry Mesa represents a heterogeneous landscape where certain patches were more attractive for different types of land use during prehistory. For example, some parts of the landscape are appropriate for agriculture while other pieces of the landscape are abundant in other important resources. By examining the social factors, such as defense, we can begin to address the influences of settlement of Perry Mesa and their implications on environmental legacies.