After the collapse of Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde, a complex culture flourished in and around Casas Grandes (or Paquimé) in northern Mexico, with its peak dating to about A.D. 1300 to 1450. Unlike its northern neighbors, Casas Grandes is relatively little excavated and studied. Even so, it is widely recognized as a major regional system.
Archaeologists Michael Whalen and Paul Minnis are leading a new generation of scholars who are probing this culture. In The Neighbors of Casas Grandes they present findings that suggest a much earlier development—perhaps as early as A.D. 1180. They focus on the complex relationship between the central city and the surrounding communities as the civilization grew in numbers and power. Prior to 1300, the level of regional organization remained low, but a well-organized polity formed in the later years. The influence of the central city is evident from the large number of ritual and architectural features, most notably ball courts, found at the surrounding communities.
This is an outstanding contribution to the understanding of a great culture of the Southwest that has suffered in obscurity for too long.
