The Discovery, Excavation, and Lessons of Ironwood Village, an Early Hohokam Ballcourt Settlement Near Tucson, Arizona

Encroached upon by the urbanization of the Tucson metropolitan area, what was thought to be a modest, nameless artifact scatter was archaeologically opened as part of a compliance-based mitigation project. What surprisingly emerged was Ironwood Village, a primary ballcourt community where hundreds of Hohokam lived, gathered around ballgames and communal feasts, and died between about A.D. 600 and 850. This remarkable site, the manner of its discovery, and treatment of its archaeological and consultative opportunities offer a variety of insights and lessons that aren't of the usual sort. This symposium views the rare discovery of Ironwood Village in its various contexts—prehistoric, archaeological, and methodological.