Trash reconsidered: A relational approach to deposition in the Pueblo Southwest

•Examination of the social implications of depositional practices.•“Trash” is an inappropriate and misleading term in Pueblo contexts.•Four distinctive patterns of depositional practice are identified.•Gendered identity was expressed through deposition at Homol’ovi I. Deposition creates the archaeological record; however, the social implications of depositional practices are often overlooked, particularly when considering domestic materials found in upper room fill. In this paper, we argue that the term “trash” and its connotations mischaracterize the thought and meaning that motivate decisions about deposition, as exemplified by ethnohistoric and modern accounts of disposal within Pueblo society. Understanding the context and content of deposition can reveal important aspects of the identities, beliefs, and relationships of the individuals and groups who created them. We explore the social role of deposits at Homol’ovi I, an ancestral Hopi pueblo in northeastern Arizona, through detailed analyses of excavation data. Drawing on contemporary Hopi insights, rooms and objects are found to assume distinct social identities, specifically gender, that influence the placement of materials throughout the pueblo. We conclude that patterns of cultural deposition from all contexts have the potential to provide significant insights about the life histories, reuse, and commemoration of spaces and objects when considering archaeological contexts worldwide.