Publication Date
Spring 5-16-2026
Abstract
This dissertation examines Gallina (1050–1300 CE) ceramic production practices as a lens for identity and interaction in the Ancestral Puebloan Southwest. Situating Gallina identity has long challenged archaeologists, particularly because no tribal group currently claims descent from this outlier population. This study evaluates whether Gallina communities formed a cohesive group bound by shared practices and how they expressed identity within and beyond their communities. Focusing on four contemporaneous communities, I analyze ceramic production sequences to identify patterns of shared practice and stylistic signaling. Using communities of practice and communities of identity frameworks, I apply a multi-scalar approach comparing attributes at intra-village, village, zonal, and regional levels. Results demonstrate strong technological uniformity and extensive learning networks. Highly visible painted motifs indicate shared identity signaling across communities, while variation in utility ware surface treatments reflects more localized identities, perhaps at the kinship level. These findings highlight how dispersed communities maintained social connections and negotiated identity within a dynamic and often violent borderland context.
Keywords
Ceramic production practices, identity, Gallina, communities of practice, communities of identity
Project Sponsors
National Science Foundation, the American Association of University Women, the University of New Mexico Center for Regional Studies, the Society for American Archaeology, the Hibben Foundation, and Native Forward
Document Type
Dissertation
Language
English
Degree Name
Anthropology
Level of Degree
Doctoral
Department Name
Anthropology
First Committee Member (Chair)
Patricia Crown
Second Committee Member
Emily Jones
Third Committee Member
Clarence Cruz
Fourth Committee Member
Kari Schleher
Fifth Committee Member
Douglas Bamforth
Recommended Citation
Kocer, Jacqueline M.. "Examining Communities of Practice and Communities of Identity through Ceramic Production Practices in the Gallina Area (1050-1300 CE) of Northwestern New Mexico." (2026). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/anth_etds/261