Wealth, Status, Ritual, and Marine Shell at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico

A groundbreaking analysis of the vast marine shell deposits at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Paquimé (Casas Grandes) challenges conventional interpretations, proposing that these shells were not merely symbols of wealth or trade but served as repositories of supernatural power integral to the site's ritual system. The study argues that the extensive shell hoards, along with other features such as reservoirs and water shrines, functioned as 'animate objects' within a materialist perspective, central to the community's spiritual practices. This interpretation shifts the focus from economic or status-related explanations to the role of these artifacts in ceremonial contexts, offering a novel framework for understanding the site's significance during its prehistoric occupation.

Whalen, M. E. (2013). Wealth, Status, Ritual, and Marine Shell at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. American Antiquity, 78(4), 624–639. https://doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.78.4.624