EMAP (2002) Report on Construction Wood Use at Classic and Postclassic Sites in the Eastern Mimbres Area, Elliot

This study concerns the use of wood for primary posts in Mimbres room blocks from the Eastern Mimbres area that date to the Classic and Postclassic periods. Sixty-seven flotation samples were analyzed from floor features and post hole features believed to have served as the primary load-bearing supports in rooms excavated by the Eastern Mimbres Archaeological Project (EMAP). The probable wood type of the post for each floor feature was assigned and both synchronic and diachronic comparisons in the types of wood used for construction were made. The results indicate a general continuity in the use of wood for construction between the Classic and Postclassic periods. Posts were constructed from woods found in a variety of the local ecological zones.