T he Mimbres culture is named for the valley watered by the Mimbres River, one of the few permanent waterways in the region. Beginning in the pine-covered tops of the Gila and Black Range Mountains, the river flows south through foothills that were densely populated during prehistoric times as evidenced by the more than 450 sites located so far. The wide bottom area found here is ideally suited for irrigation farming. After flowing through this zone for about thirty miles, the river opens into a broad dry plain covered with low shrubs. Habitation was restricted to where springs or a high water table made water available. Although sites inhabited by early hunters and gatherers have been found in the Mimbres region, the earliest villages first appear around the first century after Christ when there is a shift to farming. 7