Los Guanacos: One Hundred Years Later, Recent Documentary and Archaeological Research Concerning a Prehistoric Hohokam Site First Investigated by the Hemenway Expedition of 1887 - 1888

Author(s): Judy Brunson; Scott L. Fedick

Year: 1988

Summary

Much current archaeological research into prehistoric Hohokam society deals with relationships among the variables of site size, types of architecture, chronological placement, and the development of the canal system through time. Unfortunately, an alarming number of Hohokam sites have been destroyed or severely altered during the last hundred years of agricultural and urban development in the Salt River Valley. Because of these losses, early historic descriptions of Hohokam sites are of vital importance to current archaeological research.

Making use of early archaeological research often proves to be a truly frustrating experience. Field notes and photographs have been scattered. Maps are missing or inaccurate. When historic maps do exist they often use cryptic symbols which can be interpreted many ways. Site names have been changed, sometimes several times, and different site locations are shown on various maps.

The site of Los Guanacos is a prime example of these research problems. Scholars have managed to assign it at least three different names. It has been variously described as a Colonial to Sedentary period pithouse village and a Classic priod platform mound site. Judging by its location on various maps, the site has been identified throughout a 6 to 9 square mile area, and was located on several different canal segments. However, recent documentary research, coupled with archaeological field investigations, has provided insight into the probable location of the site. In addition, important information has been found on the site structure and the time period it represents.

Cite this Record

Los Guanacos: One Hundred Years Later, Recent Documentary and Archaeological Research Concerning a Prehistoric Hohokam Site First Investigated by the Hemenway Expedition of 1887 - 1888. Judy Brunson, Scott L. Fedick. Presented at 53rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Phoenix, AZ. 1988 ( tDAR id: 402854) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8402854

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Keywords

Culture
Hohokam

Material
Ceramic • Greenstone • Mineral • Quartz • Redware • Sandstone • Shell • Textile • Turquoise

Site Name
Alta Vista • Cactus Huts • El Pueblo del Camino • Los Guanacos • Los Hornos • Road Ruin • Ruin V

Site Type
Archaeological Feature • Ball Court • Cache • Clan-Castle • Compound • Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex • Domestic Structures • Funerary and Burial Structures or Features • Hamlet / Village • Hearth • Inhumation • Midden • Non-Domestic Structures • Oval Pit House • Pit • Pit House • Pit House / Earth Lodge • Platform Mound • Room Block / Compound / Pueblo • Settlements • Sub-Rectangular Pit House • Trash Deposit • Trash Midden • Village

Investigation Types
Records Search / Inventory Checking

General
Animal Figurine • Archaeological Research Services, Inc. • Bag • Ceramic Figurine • Ceramic Incensor • Decorated Jar • Emil Haury • Fetish • Figurine • Frank Hamilton Cushing • George Miller • Green Paint • Guanaco Figurine • Hemenway Expedition • Hemenway Southwestern Archaeological Expedition • Hohokam • Incensor • James Goodwin • Jar • Medicine Bag • Omar Turney • Paint • Paint Cake • Paint Crayon • Peabody Museum • Quartz Fetish • Redware Vessel • Sandstone Fetish • Shell Fetish • Textile Bag • Turquoise Cube • Vessel • Washington Matthews • White Paint • Wormser Ditch • Woven Bag Show More

Geographic Keywords
Arizona (State / Territory) • Salt River Valley

Temporal Keywords
Classic Period • Colonial Period • Prehistoric • Sedentary Period

Spatial Coverage

min long: -111.946; min lat: 33.318 ; max long: -111.928; max lat: 33.36 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Salt River Project Cultural Resource Manager

Contributor(s): Jerry Howard; David Wilcox

File Information

  Name Size Creation Date Date Uploaded Access
1988_BrunsonFedick_LosGuanacos_OCR_PDFA_Redacted.pdf 445.04kb Sep 27, 2021 2:16:15 PM Public
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1988_BrunsonFedick_LosGuanacos.pdf 552.69kb May 1, 1988 Apr 27, 2016 1:12:15 PM Confidential
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Contact(s): Salt River Project Cultural Resource Manager

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