SANTA CRUZ DE GAYBANIPITEA (The book on this site and the events surrounding it will be published in 2012. Tentative title: On a Fateful Day in 1698…"A Glorious Victory": Archaeological Insights into the 1698 Victory of the Sobaípuri O’odham over the Enemies of the Sonoran Province. Book manuscript.)

THE MATERIAL ON THIS PAGE IS COPYRIGHTED AND SHOULD BE APPROPRIATELY CITED (C) 2007-2011, Deni Seymour

HOME

The short life of the village of Santa Cruz de Gaybanipitea is captured in the historic documents of the Kino period. Established sometime in the 1690s (probably by the residents of nearby Santa Cruz del Pitaitutgam), it was abandoned following a battle between its occupants and a consortium of mobile groups who attacked on a March day. This village is especially critical to period research because it provides a relatively straight-forward archaeological record. The layout of the village was planned and accommodated household space for all existing social groups. Because it was abandoned so quickly afterward the layout was not clutered by new construction and did not need to work around abandoned buildings. Thus, it provides a snap-shot of an unaltered village plan for the Sobaipuri of the seventeenth century. This is a reflection of layouts seen earlier in time, but the difference is that most of this site plan is visible from the surface as erosive conditions are just right to have exposed evidence of numerous house outlines across the site. The pattern fills in nicely; in fact this was the first site at which I noticed the paired structures positioned in two parallel rows, but this became apparently only after the map was drafted. Ths short use life and the rather quick (though not immediate) abandonment has meant that this is the closest we will ever get to a Sobaipuri Pompeii. When I first walked onto this site in the mid 1980s, whole metates were lined up along the ridge, arrow points were scattered across the site, as were tools and pieces of lost jewlery. Through the years vandals have collected the site, removing many of these items so that surface densities are relatively low. Still, as recent surface work and excavations there have shown, the site retains a rich record of the 1698 battle and of the Sobaipuri way of life.

SOBAIPURI INTRODUCTION

SOBAIPURI NEW DIRECTIONS

SOBAIPURI ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH

As the battle developed, community members retreated into the adobe-walled structure or fort that was built with embrasures so that they could defend themselves. Until now, assumptions were that this structure was like the one excavated by Di Peso at Santa Cruz del Pitaitutgam. In fact, the one at Gaybanipitea has three rooms and is constructed in a highly unique manner. Each room is functionally differentiated as shown in the following images. The room burned so it is well preserved, though roots and rodents have taken their toll.

The easternmost room was devoid of features but contained ground stone and pot breaks. This suggests that the room was the one set aside for the missionary to say mass and in which to sleep but was otherwise put to use in his absence.

The middle room had a hearth and several pieces of ground stone including huge trough metate fragments. This was probably the kitchen.

The westernmost room had two pits in it suggesting it was used for storage. An abundance of seeds and other plant and animal remains were found In this room.

Among the plant remains are tepary beans, corn cobs, and wheat--the earliest documented in the historic period in this region. The documentary record does not note that the residents of this settlement were given wheat but the thousands of burned seeds leaves no doubt.

Many projectile points have been found in the adobe-walled structure and in the surrounding area. This is about half of those encountered so far. Some are from earlier occupations--both Archaic and Hohokam components are present at the site and these earlier deposits were scouped up when the adobe was made for the walls. Erosion has caused them to end up in the room and in surrounding areas. Points representative of the various attacking groups are also present. Kino said the Manso, Suma, Jano, Jocome, and Apache were present. If points can be considered indicative of people in this instance then we have evidence of Apache, Suma, and various groups living at the El Paso area missions: Manso and Jano. The documents are very clear that the Jocome were present so Jocome points are in this sample. It is now just a matter of distinguishing those that are representative of them.