The Earliest Known Occupations of the Globe Highlands in Central Arizona

Summary

Excavations along Pinal Creek north of the Town of Miami in the Globe Highlands of central Arizona have identified a lengthy settlement history extending several thousand years from the Archaic period to the historical Apache occupation. The focus of this paper is on the earliest known periods of occupation identified by excavation. A preceramic component consisted of a structure fragment and a pit from which maize was recovered that produced a date of 790-415 B.C. E. (calibrated two-sigma), which could be the earliest dated structure in the area. Several temporally associated dart points, including a Cienega-type, were also present. This Late Archaic manifestation could be attributed to the Cienega phase of the of the Early Agricultural period within recent chronological schemes. A nearby Early Ceramic component included two structures, several partial ceramic vessels including a seed jar, and other artifacts. Three associated inhumation burials may represent the earliest-known mortuary features in the Globe Highlands. This component appears to date to the late seventh-to eighth century. These early cultural and technological complexes will be placed within the context of the human settlement history of the region.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage