11th Century Turkey Management in the Mimbres Valley – Sean Dolan

For nearly two millennia, people in the US Southwest and Mexican Northwest have maintained a significant relationship with turkeys, a bird they domesticated for their feathers, meat, and other resources. Recent archaeological studies reveal diverse regional and temporal patterns in turkey management, but how and why did people in the Mimbres Valley of southwestern New Mexico from CE 1000-1130 manage and interact with these birds? In this presentation, Sean Dolan incorporates Mimbres pottery iconography, bone isotope analysis, and ancient DNA to explore the role and treatment of turkeys in this region.

Biography

Sean Dolan grew up in Pennsylvania, where he majored in history and anthropology at Penn State University. He received his Master’s in anthropology from New Mexico State University and PhD in anthropology from the University of Oklahoma. He is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and has managed cultural resources at Los Alamos National Laboratory since 2014. He is the author of several journal articles on obsidian procurement and stone tool technology in the US Southwest and Mexican Northwest, as well as how people in the Mimbres Valley managed turkeys.