The Sulphur Spring Stage of the Cochise Culture and its Place in Southwestern Prehistory Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • © 1998, © 1998 Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society. Geoarchaeological studies were undertaken in Whitewater Draw and around Lake Cochise in southeastern Arizona to determine the age of the Sulphur Spring stage of the Cochise culture and define its place in Southwestern prehistory. Alluvial stratigraphic studies in Whitewater Draw showed that Sulphur Spring stage artifacts occurred in deposits ranging from 8,000 to 10,000 B.P. and may even date as old as 10,400 B.P. These studies also showed that Sulphur Spring artifacts were not temporally associated with Pleistocene megafauna. Re-examination of the late Quaternary stratigraphy of Lake Cochise showed that reported Sulphur Spring stage sites were not temporally associated with the Pleistocene shoreline and were younger than first reported. The Sulphur Spring stage of the Cochise culture should be regarded as the oldest recognized Archaic manifestation in southern Arizona.

published proceedings

  • KIVA

author list (cited authors)

  • Waters, M. R

citation count

  • 1

complete list of authors

  • Waters, Michael R

publication date

  • December 1998