Farming the Floodplain: A Look at Prehistoric and Historic Land-Use along the Rillito

Karen G. Harry; Richard Ciolek-Torello

Farming the Floodplain: A Look at Prehistoric and Historic Land-Use along the Rillito

Author(s): Karen G. Harry; Richard Ciolek-Torello

Year: 1992

Summary

This report presents the results of a National Register evaluation of eight archaeological sites along the Rillito River in Tucson, Arizona. These sites were investigated at the request of the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers in conjunction with a proposed channelization project along the river. One of the sites, AZ BB:9:689, has since been obscured by the channelization of Wildwood Wash by the Pima County Flood Control District. This site was monitored by SRI archaeologists during the construction activities associated with the wash channelization. Archaeological test excavations were carried out at the remaining seven sites, and a historic architectural evaluation was conducted at one site, AZ BB:9:238.

The test excavations indicated that four of the sites, AZ AA:12:9, AZ AA:12:689, AZ AA:12:690, and AZ AA:12:692, contain no intact subsurface remains. At the remaining four sites intact subsurface remains were found, making them eligible for the National Register. The four eligible sites are the Sunset Mesa Ruin (AZ AA:12:10), the Shannon Ranch site (AZ AA:12:12), AZ BB:9:18, and Binghampton (AZ BB:9:238). These sites span a lengthy period of time, containing remains from the Colonial period Hohokam (AZ BB:9:18), the Sedentary period Hohokam (AZ AA:12:10 and AZ AA:12:12), the late-19th to early-20th centuries (AZ AA:12:10), and the early-20th century (AZ AA:12:12, AZ BB:9:18, and Binghampton).

Cite this Record

Farming the Floodplain: A Look at Prehistoric and Historic Land-Use along the Rillito. Karen G. Harry, Richard Ciolek-Torello. Technical Series ,35. Tucson, Arizona: SRI Press. 1992 ( tDAR id: 425923) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8425923