Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents Summary for Volumes 1, 2 and 3
- Contents
- Volume 1 Maps
- Volume 2 Maps
- Volume 3 Maps
- About the Contributors
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- V. East Asia
- VI. The Americas
- 2.13 The Americas: DNA
- 2.14 Initial Peopling of the Americas: Context, Findings, and Issues
- 2.15 Paleoindian and Archaic Periods in North America
- 2.16 The Paleoindian and Archaic of Central and South America
- 2.17 The Archaic and Formative Periods of Mesoamerica
- 2.18 Agricultural Origins and Social Implications in South America
- 2.19 The Basin of Mexico
- 2.20 The Olmec, 1800–400 bce
- 2.21 Oaxaca
- 2.22 The Origins and Development of Lowland Maya Civilisation
- 2.23 Early Coastal South America
- 2.24 The Development of Early Peruvian Civilisation (2600–300 bce)
- 2.25 Styles and Identities in the Central Andes: The Early Intermediate Period and Middle Horizon
- 2.26 The Late Intermediate Period and Late Horizon
- 2.27 Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela
- 2.28 Prehistory of Amazonia
- 2.29 Argentina and Chile
- 2.30 The Caribbean Islands
- 2.31 The Southwestern Region of North America
- 2.32 The Pacific Coast of North America
- 2.33 The Great Plains and Mississippi Valley
- 2.34 Eastern Atlantic Coast
- 2.35 Northern North America
- 2.36 The Americas: Languages
- Volume 3
- Index
- References
2.31 - The Southwestern Region of North America
from VI. - The Americas
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2014
- Frontmatter
- Contents Summary for Volumes 1, 2 and 3
- Contents
- Volume 1 Maps
- Volume 2 Maps
- Volume 3 Maps
- About the Contributors
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- V. East Asia
- VI. The Americas
- 2.13 The Americas: DNA
- 2.14 Initial Peopling of the Americas: Context, Findings, and Issues
- 2.15 Paleoindian and Archaic Periods in North America
- 2.16 The Paleoindian and Archaic of Central and South America
- 2.17 The Archaic and Formative Periods of Mesoamerica
- 2.18 Agricultural Origins and Social Implications in South America
- 2.19 The Basin of Mexico
- 2.20 The Olmec, 1800–400 bce
- 2.21 Oaxaca
- 2.22 The Origins and Development of Lowland Maya Civilisation
- 2.23 Early Coastal South America
- 2.24 The Development of Early Peruvian Civilisation (2600–300 bce)
- 2.25 Styles and Identities in the Central Andes: The Early Intermediate Period and Middle Horizon
- 2.26 The Late Intermediate Period and Late Horizon
- 2.27 Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela
- 2.28 Prehistory of Amazonia
- 2.29 Argentina and Chile
- 2.30 The Caribbean Islands
- 2.31 The Southwestern Region of North America
- 2.32 The Pacific Coast of North America
- 2.33 The Great Plains and Mississippi Valley
- 2.34 Eastern Atlantic Coast
- 2.35 Northern North America
- 2.36 The Americas: Languages
- Volume 3
- Index
- References
Summary
Geography and Environment of the Greater Southwest
The boundaries of the American Southwest are often said to extend from the modern community of Durango, Mexico, in the south (24° 01′ 44″ N, 104° 39′ 46″ W) to Durango, Colorado, in the north (37° 16′ 31″ N, 107° 52′ 48″ W), from Las Vegas, Nevada, in the west (36° 06′ 52″ N, 115° 10′ 22″ W) to Las Vegas, New Mexico, in the east (35° 35′ 38″ N, 105° 13′ 26″ W). Geographically it is the region bounded on the north by the Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin, on the east by the American Great Plains, on the west by the Pacific coastal region and on the south by Mesoamerica (Map 2.31.1).
The Southwest is classified as a semi-arid region, much of which receives fewer than 200 mm of precipitation each year. Exceptions to this occur, however, in the many upland areas, where precipitation is significantly higher, often occurring as snowfall in the higher elevations (Cordell 1997: 38). Three main physiographic provinces make up the Southwest. In the north, the landscape is dominated by the Colorado Plateau, which is characterised by a high-elevation, northward-sloping plateau dotted with mountain ranges, mesas and deep-cut canyons like the Grand Canyon and Canyon de Chelly. The southern portion of the Southwest consists of the Basin and Range Province, which comprises a series of low mountain ranges separated by broad alluvial valleys. Separating these two zones is the Mountain Transition Zone, a heavily dissected mountainous region that is bordered on the north by the Mogollon Rim (Cordell 1997; Reid & Whittlesey 1997). In places, the rim is a steep escarpment that demarcates the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. It is also the point at which rivers in the Southwest change direction.
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- The Cambridge World Prehistory , pp. 1235 - 1255Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2014