Mimbres History

      The Mimbres Valley is historically significant primarily because of the Mimbres Indians who lived here almost a thousand years ago. The Mimbres people are an enigma to archeologists, because they can only speculate about their beginnings and especially about their ultimate fate.
      Archeologists believe the Mimbres culture evolved from the Mogollon culture, which itself possibly evolved from the Anasazi and/or the Hohokam cultures. During the Mimbres phase, the move was made from pit houses, to semi-pit houses, and then to above ground pueblos. The dead were often buried under the floor inside the house, with a pot covering their head. The big puzzle is what happened to the Mimbres people. It is speculated that the original Mimbrenos moved away, and were integrated into other cultures, possibly to the south. It is not likely that they were driven from the area by warfare, as evidence points to an exodus extending over a period of years. It is possible that the Mimbrenos exhausted the natural resources of the area, and were forced to relocate, or were forced to move due to drought.
      Mimbres pottery is the most famous artifact of the Mimbres culture. Pottery was made in plain and corrugated brown clay, polychrome, black and red, and the famous black and white. The black and white pottery usually depicted animals encountered in daily life, daily routines, or geometric designs. Cranes, turkeys, fish, mosquitoes or hummingbirds, small mammals, and humans often grace Mimbres pottery. The expertise of the Mimbres potters is considered superior to that of any other Native American potters. A characteristic of pots found associated with a burial is that of the "kill hole". A piece was broken out of the bottom of the pot. It is postulated that this might have been to release the soul of the deceased. To see photographs of some of the petroglyphs in the Mimbres area, click here.
      The surrounding area was recently important as a mining center. One of the largest open pit copper mines is situated between the Mimbres, and Silver City. Events took place here that lead to the award winning movie "Salt of the Earth" which was filmed in the area. "Salt of the Earth" is about the fifteen month strike against the Empire Zinc Company which took place in the early 1950's. It was a historical struggle, and in the end, miner's wives took their husbands places on the picket line when the court forbade the miners from picketing. Women and children picketers were jailed; women were hit by strikebreakers cars, and one person was shot by a strikebreaker. After being assailed by the company, local and state governments, and strikebreakers, the union was finally successful in securing rights for their membership.
       For further information on the Mimbres culture or area history, we offer the links that follow. If you know of a good link to mimbres area history or culture, please suggest it via e-mail, to the webmaster.