EMAP (1999) Activities of the EMAP 1999 Season

EMAP has made great strides toward understanding the diverse options employed by prehistoric, arid-land farmers in the eastern Mimbres area. This knowledge provides valuable insights about how populations of different sizes organize their communities, and raises equally interesting questions about how sustainable adaptations are accomplished. EMAP has made outstanding discoveries, new to the field of Mimbres archaeology. We have discovered a new Mimbres adaptation, undocumented until our work on the Ladder Ranch from 1993 to 1998. Equally exciting, we have discovered intact, unlooted Mimbres villages that will allow us to document a long history of sustainable farming and a rich cultural tradition of the Mimbres on the Ladder Ranch. This report outlines what we have learned, what we suspect, and the next steps that should be taken to continue this research and the associated education programs. Our key points are outlined briefly below, followed by a description of the outstanding finds from the 1997 and 1998 field seasons. We then discuss the social and environmental issues addressed by the research. Finally, we describe the valuable education component of our program.