Recent Research in the Sahuaripa Region of Sonora, Mexico

Recent research in the Sahuaripa and Bacanora valleys of Sonora, Mexico, reveals significant demographic growth post-1000 AD, contrasting with other regions in Northwest/Southwest (NW/SW) Mexico. Radiocarbon dating supports this finding, indicating substantial population increases during a period marked by notable demographic shifts elsewhere. Material culture analysis, including polychrome ceramics and obsidian artifacts, demonstrates extensive local and regional connections, particularly with neighboring Río Sonora groups and Huatabampo. These artifacts also suggest long-distance trade networks linking the Sahuaripa Valley to Casas Grandes and potentially West Mexico, implying a corridor of exchange that influenced macro-scale interaction patterns in late-precolonial NW/SW Mexico. The study integrates radiocarbon dating, material culture analysis, and spatial data to reconstruct demographic trends and interaction networks.

Carpenter, J., Sánchez, G., Hernández-Espinoza, P. O., León-Romero, C. E., Krug, A. R., Abrego-Rivas, A., Shackley, M. S., Ferguson, J., & Pailes, M. (2021). Recent Research in the Sahuaripa Region of Sonora, Mexico. Kiva, 87(4), 461–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/00231940.2021.1928866