Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

In our investigation of Macahui, evidence on the function of the clearings was considered. Several types of evidence were evaluated, including the patterns of the clearings' occurrence, their associations, their morphology, the characteristics of the pavement immediately around them, and the testimony of the region's contemporary inhabitants. This evidence was used to evaluate three hypothesis: (1) that the clearings were made for prehistoric habitation, (2) that they were made as geoglyphs, and (3) that they were byproducts of modern gravel collection.