The result of nearly twenty years of interdisciplinary research, this volume contributes to the archaeological and paleoenvironmental knowledge of an important but lightly investigated hyperarid coastline at the heart of the Sonoran Desert.

Focused on the coast near Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, Coastal Foragers of the Gran Desierto examines the diverse groups occupying the coast for salt, abundant food sources, and shells for ornament manufacturing. The archaeological patterns demonstrated by the data gathered lead to the conclusion that, since ancient times, this coastal landscape was not a marginal zone but rather an important source of food and trade goods, and a pilgrimage destination that influenced broad and diverse communities across the Sonoran Desert and beyond.

Contributors

Jenny L. Adams

Karen R. Adams

Thomas Bowen

Tessa L. Branyan

Bill Broyles

Richard C. Brusca

David L. Dettman

Michael S. Foster

Gary Huckleberry

Jonathan B. Mabry

Natalia Martínez-Tagüeña

Richard J. Martynec

Douglas R. Mitchell

Kirsten Rowell

Melissa R. Schwan

M. Steven Shackley

R. J. Sliva

Kayla B. Worthey