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Comments on the Impacts of Climatic Variability and Population Growth on Virgin Anasazi Cultural Development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

James R. Allison
James R. Allison*
Affiliation:
Baseline Data, 1053 South State Street, Orem, UT 84058
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Abstract

Larson and Michaelsen (1990) suggest that Virgin Anasazi cultural development can be explained as a response to population growth and climatic variation. They present demographic and climatic data to argue that abandonment of the Virgin Anasazi region was a response to a severe mid-twelfth century drought. Reconsideration of their data shows that Virgin Anasazi populations probably did not grow or decline as rapidly as they suggest. Further, radiocarbon dates suggest that the Virgin Anasazi occupied the area until the late thirteenth century. The Virgin Anasazi abandonment did not coincide with the twelfth-century drought, and cannot be explained solely by reference to population size and climatic change.

Resumen

Resumen

Larson y Michaelsen (1990) proponen que el desarrollo cultural de la población “Virgin Anasazi” puede ser explicado como una repuesta al crecimiento de la población y variatión climática. Ellos presentan datos demogrdficos y climáticos para argüir que el abandono de la región de Virgin Anasazi respondió a una sequía rigurosa que ocurrió hacia mediados del sigh doce. Una reconsideratión de sus datos sugiere que la población Virgin Anasazi probablemente no credó o declinó tan rapidamente como ellos indican. Además, fechas radiocarbónicas indican que los Virgin Anasazi ocuparon el área hasta el final del sigh trece. El abandonó de los Virgin Anasazi no coincidió con la sequía del sigh doce y no puede ser explicado solamente en referenda a un crecimiento de la poblacion y a cambios climáticos.

Type
Comments
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 61 , Issue 2 , April 1996 , pp. 414 - 418
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1996

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References

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