Increasing Scales of Social Interaction and the Role of Lake Cahuilla in the Systemic Fragility of the Hohokam System (A.D. 700-1100)
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Increasing Scales of Social Interaction and the Role of Lake Cahuilla in the Systemic Fragility of the Hohokam System (A.D. 700-1100) by Michael Merrill A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Approved April 2014 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Michelle Hegmon, Co-Chair John Anderies, Co-Chair Elizabeth Brandt ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY May 2014 ABSTRACT Exchange is fundamental to human society, and anthropologists have long documented the large size and complexity of exchange systems in a range of societies. Recent work on the banking system of today's world suggests that complex exchange systems may become systemically fragile and in some types of complex exchange systems that involve feedbacks there exists a fundamental trade-off between robustness (stability) and systemic fragility. These properties may be observable in the archaeological record as well. In southern Arizona, the Hohokam system involved market-based exchange of large quantities of goods (including corn, pottery, stone, and shell) across southern Arizona and beyond, but after a few generations of expansion it collapsed rapidly around A.D. 1070. In this case, increasing the scale of a pre-existing system (i.e., expanding beyond the Hohokam region) may have reduced the efficacy of established robustness-fragility trade-offs, which, in turn, amplified the fragility of the system, increasing its risk of collapse. My research examines (1) the structural and organizational properties of a transregional system of shell exchange between the Hohokam region and California, and (2) the effect of the presence and loss of a very large freshwater lake (Lake Cahuilla) in southeastern California on the stability of the Hohokam system. I address these issues with analysis of ethnographic, ethnohistoric, and archaeological data, and with mathematical modeling. My study (1) produced a simple network model of a transregional system of interaction that links the Hohokam region and California during the centuries from A.D. 700 to 1100; (2) uses network and statistical analysis of the network model and archaeological data to strongly suggest that the transregional exchange system existed and was directional and structured; (3) uses i network and other analysis to identify robustness-fragility properties of the transregional system and to show that trade between Lake Cahuilla fishers and the Hohokam system should be included in a mathematical model of this system; and (4) develops and analyzes a mathematical model of renewable resource use and trade that provides important insights into the robustness and systemic fragility of the Hohokam system (A.D. 900-1100). ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation is the result of years of work and the influence and encouragement of many people along the way. When I was an undergraduate at UCLA I never thought that taking math and biology classes would eventually lead to anthropology. Two of my biology professors at UCLA, Donald Buth (ichthyology) and Rick Vance (mathematical ecology) introduced me to areas of knowledge that I would later use in this dissertation. In fact, it was one of Dr. Buth’s colleagues, Walter Rainboth who introduced me to geometric morphometrics. I am very grateful to all three of them. Years later I met Dr. Chester King who taught me more than anyone else about archaeology through years of surveys and other fieldwork as well as lengthy and enjoyable discussions on many things. I will always be grateful for his kindness and patience as a great teacher and friend. I am also grateful for the mentorship from Patricia Martz as the chair of my Master’s Committee at Cal. State L.A. She was an outstanding teacher and role model. I am also grateful to my Master’s Committee members James Brady (Cal State LA Anthropology) and Dwight Read (UCLA Anthropology) for their teaching and encouragement. If it was not for their support and encouragement I probably would not have gone on to complete a PhD. But I am especially grateful to Dwight who has contributed more than anyone else to my success in the quantitative side of archaeology and in many other ways. I am also grateful for the support and encouragement of my friends Ray Corbett (Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History) and Booker Thomas who have helped me persevere through the most difficult of times. Probably Ray more than anyone iii understands how hard it was for me to complete the PhD program, having faced similar obstacles himself during his doctoral studies. I first met Ray on a yearlong archaeological survey for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area way back in 1999, when he was a graduate student at UCLA. I learned a lot from Ray about archaeology and many other things during the survey, and am most grateful for his friendship. Thank you Ray and Booker. I am also very grateful for the outstanding help from Arthur Vokes (Curator in the Archaeological Repository, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson), Wendy Teeter (Curator of Archaeology, Fowler Museum, UCLA), Margaret Hardin (Division Chief for History and Anthropology and Anthropology Curator, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History), Chris Coleman (Collections Manager of Anthropology, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History), KT Hajeian (Collections Manager of Anthropology, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History), and Lindsey Groves (Collections Manager of Malacology, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History) in obtaining much of the shell artifact and shell data for my study. I also wish to acknowledge my co-chairs Michelle Hegmon and Marty Anderies, and my committee member Betsy Brandt. Both Michelle and Marty have been outstanding mentors and I have learned many valuable things from them that will greatly contribute to my future success in academia and life in general. I am most grateful to both of you. However, I must give special acknowledgement to my committee member Betsy Brandt. More than anyone else through her unwavering support, kindness, and teaching she made sure I completed the program. It was a great pleasure and privilege to work for iv her as a TA over the past few years. Thank you Betsy for your friendship, generosity, and teaching. Also, thank you for having the patience to put up with Billy and I. I also wish to thank Jim Eder and Anne Stone. I really enjoyed working for you as a TA and learned a lot from you as well. Thank you. I am also very grateful for the dissertation writing completion fellowship I received from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (SHESC) for my final semester at ASU. In addition, I am very grateful for the RA support I received for my first year in the program from Marco Janssen and Marty Anderies. It was a great privilege and invaluable learning experience to work for both of you. Thank you Marco and Marty. I am also most grateful for the opportunity to work for Michelle Hegmon as an RA for one semester. Thank you Michelle. I am also very grateful for the TA positions I received from SHESC and for the opportunity to work with many excellent people as a result. Finally, I wish to acknowledge my mother and my sons Blaise and William (aka Billy). More than anyone else you gave me a reason to finish the program during some very difficult times. I am forever grateful for your unconditional support, understanding, patience, and love. It is to you that I dedicate this work. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES…………………...…………………………………………………..xiv LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………xix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................1 Expansion, Systemic Fragility, and the Rapid Collapse of the Hohokam....................................................................................................................3 My Research Strategy to Address the Four Goals....................................................4 Organization of the Remaining Chapters..................................................................9 2 THE STUDY AREA AND ROBUSTNESS AND SYSTEMIC FRAGILITY IN THE HOHOKAM SYSTEM...............................................................................13 The Pre-Classic Hohokam Regional System...........................................................13 The Hohokam/California Transregional System.....................................................16 Robustness and Fragility in Social-Ecological Systems.........................................19 Globalization............................................................................................................25 Complexity, Systemic Fragility, and Diversity of Export Goods...........................27 Archaeological Examples of Diverse Diversification of Exchange from the Hohokam/California Transregion............................................................................29 Summary..................................................................................................................30 3 ETHNOHISTORIC, ETHNOGRAPHIC, AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR INTERACTION IN THE HOHOKAM/CALIFORNIA TRANSREGION.........................................................................................32 vi CHAPTER Page Chumash...................................................................................................................33 Hohokam Regional System......................................................................................34 Patayans....................................................................................................................37