This article surveys research in Northwest Mexico (Sonora and Chihuahua), with an emphasis on the Early Agricultural period to the Late Prehistoric period. Middle range societies that are diverse in scale and organization characterize this region. Significant advancements in our understanding of these societies have been made in recent years, but substantial challenges remain in building interpretative frameworks that account for both regional diversity and incorporate macroscale interactions. Topics covered in this review include the adoption of agriculture, population movements, bases of social differentiation, and interactions between organizationally disparate groups. These issues demonstrate the relevance of the Northwest to research on the organization of middle range societies.

中文翻译：

---

墨西哥西北部：索诺拉，奇瓦瓦州及周边地区的史前史

本文对墨西哥西北部（索诺拉州和奇瓦瓦州）的研究进行了调查，重点研究了农业早期到史前晚期。该地区的特点是规模和组织各异的中端社会。近年来，我们对这些社会的了解有了长足的进步，但是在建立解释框架时仍然存在巨大的挑战，这些框架既要考虑区域多样性，又要考虑宏观因素。这篇综述涵盖的主题包括农业的采用，人口流动，社会分化的基础以及组织不同群体之间的互动。这些问题证明了西北地区对中产阶级社会组织研究的重要性。