Adaptive Diversity and Southwestern Abandonment

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Abstract
The abandonment of at least some regions of the Southwest during the late periods of prehistory is a recurrent theme in culture-historical reconstructions. This paper examines the issue of abandonments by using a model of adaptive diversity. Mobility and sedentism are argued to be basic and complementary adaptive strategies for many southwestern regions after A.D. 600. Archaeological data in support of the model are reviewed. I conclude that many "abandonments," as traditionally described, did not occur. Instead, the apparent abandonment of regions is most parsimoniously explained by viewing abandonments in relation to the resilience and diversity of southwestern adaptive strategies.

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