This map shows the juxtaposition of the pueblos of Kuapa, San Marcos, and Pueblo Blanco to the major lead mining districts of Placitas, New Placers, Cerrillos, and Pecos in north-central New Mexico.

UCSC anthropologist Judith Habicht-Mauche and geochemist Russell Flegal have studied the "fingerprints" of lead ore from each mining district and concluded that all of the lead used in ceramic glazes in north-central New Mexico between 1425 to 1515 came from the south side of the Cerrillos Hills area. The finding suggests that people traveled considerable distances to acquire lead from Cerrillos--despite lead mines that in some cases were adjacent to their own villages.

Illustration: Helen Cole, UCSC Graphic Services

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