ABSTRACT
The very structure of the question, a dichotomy between sedentism and mobility, suggests an epistemological root to the problems surrounding its answer. Every archaeologist working with data from the Colorado Plateau has his or her own interpretation of how prehistoric peoples used the landscape. Cosmos Mindeleff was probably the first trained observer to comment on prehistoric southwestern site morphology and to suggest activities associated with the different kinds of sites. The misconception was soon remedied with the verification of the Basketmaker-Pueblo continuum, and continued field work on the Colorado Plateau demonstrated the incredible variety in site configurations throughout the prehistoric occupation. Alexander Lindsay and his coworkers conducted extensive surveys and excavations in the vicinity of Navajo Mountain and the Rainbow Plateau. They concluded that commencing "about 1000 the Kayenta people began to utilize the upland plateau and mesa areas for permanent residence".
