Paquimé (Casas Grandes) and its culturally associated hinterland span the International Four Corners, which includes southeastern corner of Arizona, the southernmost regions of New Mexico, the eastern edge of Sonora, and much of the modern state of Chihuahua. Through time, these geographic boundaries have been primarily determined through the presence of Casas Grandes polychromes which have acted as one of the defining features of their eponymous region (Brand 1935; Sayles 1936; Whalen and Minnis 2001a, 2012). Though these ceramics are accompanied by other traits, polychromes remain the only category of material culture not criticized for having a geographically spotty distribution. It is not surprising that from early in the history of Casas Grandes archaeology that polychromes have been a subject of many studies and academic discussions.

However, the current typology has not been fruitful in regard to traditional questions of temporal and spatial sensitivity. Some of the less well studied secondary characteristics, however, such as paste color and paint type, may be useful for addressing more current anthropological questions in that they probably represent behavioral modes and communities of practice. Up until this point, such secondary characteristics have received little comprehensive attention. This dissertation represents an attempt to remedy breaches in our comprehensive understanding of Casas Grandes polychromes by presenting results from multiple characterization techniques focusing on describing paste and black paints.

Ultimately, my analyses revealed the fact that Casas Grandes potters adhere to a limited number of identifiable potting traditions regarding the manufacture of pigments and ceramic bodies. What is more, these recipes do not have direct relationships to one another but rather cross-cut formal types. Additionally, compositional paint groups and paste types do not directly correspond to one another.

Perhaps most significant, is clear evidence that these modes of procurement regarding raw clay types, specifically, appear to be a long-situated pattern of behavior. I can only speculate as to whether or not these procurement patterns have antecedents prior to AD 1150 when the Medio begins, though it seems most certain that they would. Most importantly, regardless of possible antecedents, this pattern long precedes the florescence of Paquimé.

This dissertation explores the effectiveness of Spanish economic institutions in a borderland region. Recent studies have illuminated the diverse actions that native groups enacted in response to Spanish colonialism ranging from allying with the Spanish for military support to cleaving out a wedge in the market economy. Current work has considered issues of transculturation, indigenous agency, persistence, and autonomy; however, these examinations focus on the scale of the household or local economy, and do not situate native agents within a larger economic network, nor do they consider the agency of Spanish and other European actors in the context of a colonial economy. Colonial Pensacola, Florida provides an ideal stage to witness where monolithic trade policies meet economic reality, but this context is not unique. All over the world, past and present, individuals, groups, and institutions innovate and improvise within and against the global market and capitalistic trade policies. Understanding how this process played out in the past can lead to a better understanding of how people in local contexts navigate their daily lives within a globally connected economy.Methods include archival research, traditional artifact analysis, and chemical composition and isotopic analysis of glass beads and lead shot using Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and acid dissolution to study the role that both colonial and native people played in disrupting or contributing to colonial economic institutions in eighteenth-century Pensacola, Florida. Although broadly recovered from sites, lead shot and monochrome glass beads lack diagnostic physical or stylistic characteristics that would facilitate interpretations of production, distribution, and use patterns. The chemical methods are used in conjunction with a close examination of historical documents to provide evidence of how goods moved through colonial and indigenous communities, foregrounding the importance of economic agency among settlers and natives, even when these practices challenged idealized models of mercantilism and colonial government regulations. Results from analysis of the three datasets illuminate both legal and illicit exchange among the Spanish, French, British, Apalachee, Yamasee, and Upper Creek. Historical correspondences document illicit trade, and the chemical analysis of the glass bead and lead bullets corroborates and supplements historical data.