Prehistoric Settlement Patterns in the Sapillo Creek Valley, Gila National Forest, New Mexico

The Sapillo Valley Survey Project was undertaken in 1993 by Robert Stokes as a M.A. thesis project. The valley was 20 percent sample surveyed using 320 m wide transects that crossed the valley from high landform to high landform, thus ensuring that a variety of landforms would be sampled. The survey resulted in recording 62 sites ranging from Late Archaic/Early Pithouse sites to Late Pithouse villages to Classic Mimbres pueblos and fieldhouses. The sites included many large ceremonial structures (kivas) and one small cliff dwelling in the lower canyon. The results demonstrate that the Sapillo Valley was lightly used until ca. the Three Circle phase (A.D. 750-800) and Classic period (A.D. 1000-1150) when the size of villages and frequency increased dramatically. The valley was largely abandoned at the end of the Classic period.