Intersite Agave Variability among Pueblo La Plata, Pueblo Pato and Richinbar Pueblo in the Agua Fria National Monument

It is widely recognized that prehistoric peoples of the American Southwest cultivated and utilized agave to a great extent. The occupants of three 13th-14th century sites, found on Perry and Black Mesas in Arizona’s Agua Fria National Monument, did just that. How and to what extent their agricultural actions have affected modern day agave populations is a topic of much interest. The purpose of this paper is to provide an account of intersite agave variability among Pueblo La Plata, Pueblo Pato, and Richinbar Pueblo. It is hoped that the following analysis will prove useful in determining not only what persisting effects prehistoric farming has had on these modern landscapes, but also how the occupants of the three pueblos interacted with each other.