Oshara Tradition, the northern tradition of the earlierPicosa culture, was aSouthwestern Archaic tradition centered in the area now calledNew Mexico andColorado.Cynthia Irwin-Williams developed the sequence ofArchaic culture for Oshara during her work in theArroyo Cuervo area of northwestern New Mexico. Irwin contends that theAncestral Puebloans developed, at least in part, from the Oshara.^[1]

This sequence defines no fewer than six phases of occupation, each identified byProjectile point forms and other less well defined artifacts.

Jay phase (7,450 to 6,750 years before present)^{[nb 1]} – Artifacts of hunter-gatherers, distinguished from earlierPaleo-Indians, and evidence suggests that people concentrated on hunting and gathering of locally available game and food, often living near canyon heads.^[3] Artifacts found include crude stone tools for processing food and long, narrowprojectile points.^[2]

Bajada phase (6,750 to 5,150 years BP) – Distinguished from the Jay phase by the presence of differentprojectile points, different hearths, ovens, and more sites.^[3]

San Jose phase (6,750 to 3,750 years BP) –Metates andmanos were used to process food. There was an increase in both the size and number of sites during this period. Trash heaps were also now found.^[3]

Armijo phase (3,750 to 2,750 years BP) – Cultivation ofmaize began during this period which allowed for food surpluses. A new type of site was introduced, a seasonal site for gathering of up to 50 people, believed to be possible due to the stores of cultivated maize.^[3] Irwin-Williams concluded that the Oshara may have been the first Southwestern culture to cultivate crops.^[4] Projectile points were different from the concave, short projectile points of other cultures of the northernColorado Plateau during this time, the Middle Archaic period. Late in the phase the points were serrated, stemmed blades.^[5]

En Medio phase (2,750 to 1,550 years BP) – During this period there was again an increase in the number of sites, but generally now at the base of cliffs, and the introduction of the use ofstorage pits for surplus food. It was roughly analogous to the southwesternBasketmaker culture.^[3]

Trujillo phase (starting about 1,550 years BP) – Pottery was introduced during this period.^[3]

Oshara sites have been found nearDenver, theUpper Gunnison River basin,^[6] and theMesa Verde area ofColorado and in several sites inNew Mexico andArizona.^[7]

Notes

Citations

• Gibbon, Guy E.; Ames, Kenneth M. (1998).Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis.ISBN 978-0-8153-0725-9.
• Stiger, Mark (15 August 2001).Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology of the Colorado High Country. University Press of Colorado.ISBN 978-0-87081-612-3.

• Outline of Colorado prehistory
• Prehistory of Colorado

• Archaic period in North America
• Archaeological cultures in the United States
• Hunter-gatherers of the United States
• Native American history of New Mexico
• Native American history of Colorado
• Prehistoric cultures in Colorado
• Oasisamerica cultures

• Articles with short description
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