First Pima village found near 17th-century Cocóspera mission in Sonora
Archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History have unearthed the earliest known Pima village located near the historic Mission of Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera. Founded by Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino in the 17th century, this mission lies in the Cocóspera Valley, between Ímuris and Cananea in the state of Sonora. The settlement had remained concealed beneath mesquite trees for over 300 years, approximately 100 meters from the church, which is one of the few remaining Jesuit structures in the Pimería Alta, a region spanning northern Sonora and southern Arizona.
Key facts
- INAH archaeologists uncovered the first Pima village at the Cocóspera mission site.
- The mission was founded by Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino in the late 17th century.
- The settlement was found in the Cocóspera Valley between Ímuris and Cananea, Sonora.
- Remains were preserved under mesquite trees for over 300 years.
- The village is about 100 meters from the mission church.
- The church is one of the few surviving Jesuit-built structures in the Pimería Alta region.
- Pimería Alta extended across parts of northern Sonora and southern Arizona.
- Architects, historians, and archaeologists had searched for the village for decades.
Entities
Institutions
- Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History
- INAH
Locations
- Cocóspera Valley
- Ímuris
- Cananea
- Sonora
- Mexico
- Pimería Alta
- Arizona
- United States