Textiles in Southwestern Prehistory Author:Lynn S. Teague, Helga Teiwes Just as fiber evidence is often important to the solution of modern crimes, prehistoric textiles can be used to solve archaeological mysteries. This book examines the ways in which textiles can be interpreted to help archaeologists understand the lives of prehistoric peoples in the Greater Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico... more »). The author surveys the mineral, animal, and plant fibers used in the region's archaeological textiles, explains the techniques of prehistoric yarn production, and accounts for textile structures, weaving technologies, and the use of color, ornament, and pattern. After examining the economic and social context of textile production and distribution, she shows how the study of textiles can aid in the understanding of specific areas and issues. For example, textile evidence can shed light on the development of agriculture and the question of Mesoamerican influence on Southwestern cultural traditions.« less