Archaic Southwest

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The Archaic Southwest is a term used to describe the culture of the southwestern United States between 6500 BC and 200 AD (approximately).

The Paleo-Indian tradition before that dates from 10,500 BC to 7500 BC. The Southwestern United States during the Archaic time frame can be identified or defined culturally in two separate ways:

Agriculture, pottery styles and public architecture - People of the southwest had a variety of subsistence strategies, all using their own specific techniques. Crops included beans, maize, and squash.
The absence of Formal Social Stratification, large cities, writing, and major architecture.

Archaic cultural traditions include:

Sand-Dieguito-Pinto (6500BC-200AD)
Oshara (5500BC-600AD)
The Cochise (before 5000BC-200BC)
Chihuahua (6000BC-250AD)

Many contemporary cultural traditions exist within the southwest, but there are four major ones.

Yuman-speaking Peoples: They inhabit the Colorado River valley, the uplands, and Baja California.
O'odham peoples: They inhabit Southern Arizona, and northern Sonora.
Pueblo Indians: They inhabit areas in Arizona and New Mexico.
Apache and the Navajo peoples: Their ancestral roots trace back to Athabaskan-speaking peoples in Canada. They probably entered the southwest during the 16th century.