Where the Earth and Sky Are Sewn Together: Sobaipuri-O'odham

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Where the Earth and Sky are Sewn corrects earlier archaeological work at Sobaipuri Together: Sobaipuri-O’odham sites, conducted in the 1950s–1970s. Starting with reassessments of Charles DiPeso’s Contexts of Contact and Colonialism 1950s archaeological work at the historically ref- Deni J. Seymour erenced sites of Santa Cruz de Gaybaniptea and University of Utah Press, Salt Lake later Quiburi, the author makes a strong effort to City, 2011. 344 pp., 78 figs., 3 review the documentary voice that she feels has tables, refs., index. $60.00 cloth. dominated Sobaipuri research for many decades and bring to bear new interpretations based on For the past 25 years or so, Dr. Deni Sey- her archaeological fieldwork. This volume pres- mour has spent a great deal of time in the field, ents an archaeology of the Sobaipuri that actually primarily along the San Pedro River valley of enhances the documentary record. southern Arizona; surveying, mapping, excavating, This book is divided into 13 chapters that and otherwise documenting many Sobaipuri sites explain in detail the results of the author’s many that were previously unknown or not thoroughly years of fieldwork in the San Pedro Valley. In documented. At the same time she has been chapter 1 (“The Fertile Fields of the Sobaipuri- reviewing extensive Spanish-period documents O’odham”) the author reviews the cultural land- from the 16th to the 18th centuries, prepared by scape of the Sobaipuri-O’odham and discusses the such varied personages as Francisco Vazquez de importance of Spanish contact and influence on the Coronado, Marcos de Niza, Eusebio Francisco Sobaipuri before Fr. Kino. The influence of archae- Kino, and Juan Mateo Manje. She has been ology on the documentary record is reviewed. integrating the documentary and archaeological Chapter 2 (“Background and Basis”) presents record in a series of papers published in various an historiography of research and ideas about the journals over the past 20 years. Sobaipuri since the first work by Emil Haury As she says in her dedication, Emil Haury in the 1930s and the major work completed started modern archaeological investigations into by Charles DiPeso of the Amerind Foundation the O’odham, and Charles DiPeso laid the foun- in the 1950s–1960s. The author also discusses dation for Sobaipuri archaeological studies. Dr. resistance to new ideas, particularly regarding the Seymour has taken this earlier work and greatly new archaeological data from her work and the expanded on it through many years of field relationship to the long-established interpretations work and publications. In this new book from of the documentary record. the University of Utah Press, Dr. Seymour has The interrelationship between long-accepted prepared a synthesis that makes a strong effort documentary sources and new data from the to bring her thoughts and ideas from nearly archaeological record is discussed in chapter 3 25 years of Sobaipuri research together in one (“Integrating Sources”). In the process of trying volume. Dr. Seymour has worked closely with to identify historically referenced locations of the members of the O’odham community at San Sobaipuri settlements, Dr Seymour argues that the Xavier, south of Tucson, who are the closest combination of period maps, documentary text, descendants of the Sobaipuri. and archaeological data results in a significant In this well-documented, written, and illustrated revision of settlement placement on the ground. volume, Dr. Seymour brings her unique perspec- In chapter 4 (“Distinguishing the Sobaipuri”), tive together on the interrelationships of the an effort is made to describe and define Sobai- Sobaipuri, the O’odham, and the Hohokam who puri material culture, distinguishing between resided in the river valleys of southern Arizona. different groups living in the same areas. The She attempts to untangle discrepancies in the Cerro Rojo Complex, regarded by the author as Spanish-period documentary record through new Proto-Apache; the Canutillo Complex (Jano and information from archaeological survey and exca- Jocome), and the Cayetano Complex (Sobaipuri) vation work that also clarifies and in some cases are described and discussed. Significant aspects

Historical Archaeology, 2012, 46(2):213–215. Permission to reprint required. 214 HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY 46(2) of material culture such as ceramics (Whetstone author raises a major question in this chapter plain and Sobaipuri plain) and Sobaipuri and as to what is actually being dated. Specific other projectile-point types are described and archaeological techniques used in the testing reviewed. Dr. Seymour presents her thesis that and excavation of Sobaipuri sites are examined. there is no discernable hiatus in indigenous occu- This chapter also discusses issues relating to the pation in the San Pedro and Santa Cruz River Hohokam-O’odham continuum. Archaeological valleys from the Hohokam late classic period to surveys have revealed the presence of many the historical period. more Sobaipuri sites than described by Fr. In chapter 5 (“O’odham Housing”), the author Kino. The multicomponent use of many sites describes two major types of architecture used to is described as reuse by more recent groups. construct houses in the terminal-prehistoric and Assessments of historically referenced places are early historical periods. The dome or barrel-shaped made based on new archaeological field data. semisubterranean house is described, compared, The author argues in chapter 10 (“Rancheria and contrasted with the adobe-walled structures and Community”) that new archaeological data found at some sites. The accounts of housing by can be used for evaluating the structural layouts Cabeza de Vaca, Fr. Marcos de Niza, Coronado, of Sobaipuri sites in terms of communities, vil- Fr. Kino, Manje, Fr. Pfefferkorn, Fr. Och, and lages, and rancherias. This chapter also reviews Frank Russell are described. The author feels that specific archaeological excavation techniques along with archaeological evidence they support needed when working with Sobaipuri sites. The a unbroken continuum of occupation from the use of hand tools is emphasized. Mechanical late-prehistoric into the early historical period. The stripping is not recommended for Sobaipuri sites. discussion of housing types focuses also on activ- The duration of Sobaipuri occupation is ity patterns reflected in house-structure design and reviewed in chapter 11 (“Sobaipuri Occupational the placement of auxiliary features. Duration”). The author discusses social and sub- In chapter 6 (“O’odham Domestic Space”), sistence conditions required for planned settle- the discussion focuses on detailed description ments that expanded or contracted through time. and analysis of the use of space in Sobaipuri Dating of these Sobaipuri sites confers a new and houses. The perspective from recent archaeologi- greater temporal depth. cal data is compared and contrasted with descrip- Chapter 12 (“Contrarian Perspectives on Sobai- tions from the documentary records. The author puri Transformation”) examines aspects of change descries the common practice of Sobaipuri houses through time. It provides alternative explanations being in pairs. This chapter also describes the use and perspectives on Sobaipuri life. Dating of of household space, extramural household space, Sobaipuri arrival in the river valleys of southern settlement clusters, and population densities at Arizona is discussed. The author suggests that first contact with the Spanish, utilizing -archaeo more fieldwork on Sobaipuri sites that provides a logical data, the ethnographic record, documen- perspective less “tarnished” by European influence tary sources, and O’odham oral traditions. is needed. The author in chapter 7 (“Sopaipuri Food- In the final chapter (“A Relation to Sobaipuri ways and Hearth-Related Practices”) focuses on Past”) the author reviews the impacts of her Sobaipuri hearth-related practices, food-production 25 years of working on Sobaipuri sites. Dr. technologies, and cooking techniques. In addition, Seymour argues that the use of archaeological there is a discussion of how such practices may data can clarify and sometimes correct European provide clues to social practices. documentary sources and provide new and unique In chapter 8 (“Sopaipuri Land Use”), utiliz- perspectives on the Sobaipuri, other O’odham ing archaeological data from recent surveys and groups, and the Hohokam. excavation projects, there is a discussion of how Dr. Seymour, in this expansive and detailed the Sobaipuri used portions of the terrain for new study of Sobaipuri archaeology, describes domestic and community use. Settlement place- the Sobaipuri-O’odham who occupied the San ment, settlement change, irrigation agriculture, Pedro and Santa Cruz valleys from the early and landscape use are all described. 1400s. She has worked closely with the Wa:k Different types of chronometric dating are O’odham who reside at San Xavier and are the reviewed in chapter 9 (“Dating Sites”). The descendants of the Sobaipuri. This book provides REVIEWS 215 new perspectives on the Hohokam-O’odham con- contribution to our understanding of the Sobai- tinuum. Extensive new archaeological fieldwork puri-O’odham. carried out by the author provides new insights on Spanish documentary sources, sometimes sup- Peter L. Steere porting, sometimes correcting, and most often Tribal Historic Preservation Office Tohono O’odham Nation expanding our knowledge base. Sells, AZ This well-thought-out and extensively doc- umented book represents a significant new