Tue LocaTIONs AND CULTURAL PHASES OF THE SITES 
THe BR-45 Srre 
The BR-45 Site is located on the west mesa at 6100 
feet about 124 miles west of the Rio Grande River at 
Albuquerque, New Mexico, while the Boca Negra Cave 
and Artificial Leg Sites are elevated at about 5100 feet 
on the first terrace closer to the river. The other maize- 
containing sites previously reported in central New 
Mexico are on the same western side of the river and to 
the southwest of the Middle Rio Grande Valley (Plate 
LXXIX). 
The west mesa is now dissected by arroyos sloping in 
a west-to-east direction toward the river. The arroyos 
cut through dune-covered ridges which were the occupa- 
tion sites. During a number of wetter years than at 
present, maize was probably grown on the flood plains 
where these more modern arroyos now occur. 
The BR-45 Site occupies the south slope of one of the 
sandy ridges just below its crest. It consists of two small 
pithouses with outside living areas to the east of the 
dwellings, as described in detail by Reinhart (1967a). 
The cultural affinities at the BR-45 Site were of the 
Alameda Phase which is an early Basketmaker [11 mani- 
festation. Its identification is based on typological com- 
parisons, including ceramics, to known Basketmaker II] 
material. These identifications (Reinhart, 19672) suggest 
that the dunes were stabilized approximately 2000 to 
1500 years ago during a period of increased moisture. 
This dating also appears to fit the moist period postulated 
as being between the Fairbank and Whitewater droughts 
(Antevs, 1955) as well as the radiocarbon date of 18+ 
138 B.C. for the BR-45 maize, as will be described later. 
