Human interaction with the environment in prehistory has provided researchers a significant question; how did people shape the environment in which they lived? The Village Ecodynamics Project is an attempt at analyzing the historical ecology of ancestral pueblo people in the Mesa Verde region during their occupation from A.D. 600 – A.D. 1300. The paper by Mark D. Varien et al., Historical Ecology in the Mesa Verde Region: Results from the Village Ecodynamics Project, is the resulting analysis and assessment of the data gathered from the project. The authors strive not only to develop new historical ecological implications, but also implications for pueblo history in the Mesa Verde region.
In order to develop a comprehensive analysis of the regions human environment interaction, three interrelated aspects were tied together. The Village Ecodynamic Project first, focuses on the long and short term climactic fluctuations in relation to agricultural success and population movement. Second, by integrating climactic information with geographic data, including soils, geomorphology and agricultural strategies, Varien et al. attempt to create a model for agricultural productivity on specific landscapes. Finally, the authors analyze how anthropogenic changes in the environment impacted the populations living in the region. With these underlying assumptions, the authors present the results of several studies to support their final assessment.
The foundation for the author’s analysis is based on the assessment 3,176 habitation sites in the region. Habitation sites were determined as having the presence of a trash midden and at least one pit structure depression to indicate year round occupation. Sites were then broken into smaller categories including single habitations, multiple habitations and community centers. These categories were based on the number of pit structures and total number of structures. This established a data set that would later be used in the modeling of population dynamics in the region.
The authors developed a model for paleoproductivity for 14 temporal periods based on the single most important crop in the region; maize. A model was essentially created that took into account for soil characteristics, moisture levels, length of a growing season, and land elevation. These aspects were determined to be the most crucial in assessing agricultural production. The resulting model was able to reconstruct production levels for the 14 periods and establish when production levels were at their lowest.
The third and final method used by the authors to establish a baseline for their concluding assessments was the analysis of the long term use of wood. They used the tree-ring database compiled by the Crow Canyon Archaeological center as indicators of periods of general construction activity. Varien et al. acknowledges sampling issues with tree-ring dating and consequently, used the data as only general indicators rather than a true proxy for population size.
By tying together the resulting data from these three methods, the authors were able to make several conclusions concerning historical ecology and pueblo history. The models established a total population estimate of 197,000 between A.D. 600 – 1300, with a peak of 19,500 in the mid thirteenth century. Populations never reached levels that could not be supported by the carrying capacity of the regional environment, and as such were not responsible for the collapse of the system. The region bore witness to periods of both immigration and emigration. Population movement was responsible for cultural transitions and therefore, the pueblo population history was dynamic. Ecological and social factors are intertwined when assessing the history of aggregated settlements. An increased population size affected the size of aggregates. However, a population increase may not directly increase environmental impacts. The final conclusion drawn from the data is that issues of historical ecology is not simply relegated to Mesa Verde region but, has important implications on societal interactions beyond the borders of the project area.
The overarching nature of the project provides significant understanding into the question of historical human environmental interaction in the Mesa Verde region during puebloan occupation. However, it is that same overarching nature that leads to shortcomings in the final analysis. Their model for paleoproductivity estimates is based on the creation of a modern index (A.D. 1930-1960) and then regressed to A.D. 600 to make analytic comparison of maize production. They attempted eliminate technological variables and only calibrate for the variable years. The method for creating the model takes into account what they believe are the most important factors in production and yet, they even acknowledge the limitation. Additional variables may need to be taken into account in future studies to provide for an accurate analysis. In this sense the temporal production values become more generalized rather than the intended formation of firm data to compare with population densities.
The Village Ecodynamics Project is an extensive and exhaustive study of human environmental interactions. The resulting article by Varian et al. is an attempt at developing models and an ensuing analysis. Due to the scope of the project, the authors are able to develop an interesting initial assessment of Mesa Verde historical ecology, while acknowledging the limitation they currently face. By recognizing that further study is necessary, the authors are able substantiate their findings as an initial baseline to build upon.
References Cited
Varien, Mark D., Scott G. Ortman, Timothy A. Kohler, Donna M. Glowacki, and C. David Johnson
2007 Historical Ecology in the Mesa Verde Region: Results from the Village Ecodynamics Project.
American Antiquity 72(2): 273-299.
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