A Spatial Analysis of the Level of Constructedness of the Small Sites around Pueblo la Plata and Pueblo Pato

The level of constructedness of archaeological sites can provide insight into the amount of planning, labor and time invested into building structures. Further understanding into the time, labor and planning invested into architecture can allow for inferences to made on the residential mobility of the population, intensity of surrounding land use and social importance assigned to each pueblo (Cameron 1999). This paper will explore and compare the architectural constructedness of small sites located around the larger pueblos of Pueblo la Plata and Pueblo Pato. Pueblo la Plata and Pueblo Pato are both located within the boundaries of Agua Fria National Monument on Perry Mesa in central Arizona. Agua Fria National Monument covers over 71,000 acres and is located approximately 40 miles north of Phoenix. According to previously performed archaeological research, there exists approximately 450 prehistoric sites within the boundaries, including Pueblo la Plata and Pueblo Pato (BLM 2006). The purpose of this paper is to explore the level of constructedness of the small sites around these two large pueblos and attempt to draw some conclusions about the social organization of these sites during their occupation.