Tradition Name: Upper Gila (Highland Salado)

First posted by C. Dean Wilson 2013

The Salado is very difficult to define but seems to represent a related culture manifestation incooperated elments of earlier cultures spread across regions earlier occupied by different Hohokon, Mogollon, and Anasazi groups. All Salado sites in New Mexico seem to reflect the eastern edge of a very late manifestation of the Salado in an area earlier occupied by Mimbres Mogollon groups. In Salado sites in Southwestern New Mexico similarity in temper noted for types associated with several ware groups, including Salado Polychromes, indicate local manufacture. This is consistent with data accumulated during detailed studies by Crown from sites across four sub-regions of the Southwest that indicated of the very wide-spread production of similar decorated wares. Despite the extremely wide area which the Salado vessels where recovered, they reflected evidence of having been locally manufactured, and characteristics of a narrowly defined tradition with similar trajectories of change over time (Crown 1994). Salado Polychrome types recovered from sites in New Mexico, thus while appear to have been locally manufacture were assigned to types defined for the greater Salado area and thus are tenatively placed here in an Upper Gila category indicative of occupation in higland drainages previously ccupied by Mogollon or Mimbres groups. Ware groups for which types are described here for this region of Salado tradition include Roosevelt Red (or Salado Polychrome), Maverick Mountain Polychrome, and Salado (or Cliff) Plain wares.

Related Wares

• Gila (Salado) Utility Ware
• Maverick Mountain Polychrome Ware
• Roosevelt Red (Salado Polychrome) Ware