Sunset Crater Archaeology: The History of a Volcanic Landscape, Stone, Shell, Bone, and Mortuary Analyses

Editor(s): Mark D. Elson

Year: 2006

Summary

The U.S. 89 Archaeological Project investigated 41 prehistoric sites located approximately 30 km north of Flagstaff, Arizona. All sites were on Coconino National Forest (CNF) land, specifically the Peaks Ranger District. The project was conducted hy Desert Archaeology, Inc., personnel for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) prior to widening and improvement of 26.7 km (16.6 miles) of U.S. 89, between the southern boundary of Wupatki National Monument in the north, and the town of Fernwood in the south. Archaeological fieldwork occurred over two primary field seasons in 1997 and 1998, with a very brief field season in 1999. A total of almost 12 person-years of labor was expended on the fieldwork.

The U.S. 89 project area crosses diverse environmental zones, ranging from juniper-sage grasslands in the north at approximately 5,700 ft (1,737 m) asl, to ponderosa pine forests at over 7,200 ft (2,195 m) asl in the south. Mixed pinyon pine and juniper woodlands comprise the middle elevations. Five elevation zones were defined, using increments of 500 ft as a proxy for changes in precipitation, temperature, and vegetation. Additionally, all project area sites are within 25 km of Sunset Crater, with the closest sites only 5-6 km west of the volcano. Sunset Crater erupted for a very short period (months to a few years) sometime between A.D. 1050 and 1125. Basalt lava from the eruption covered an area of approximately 8 km2, while another 2,300 km2 was covered by cinder and ash deposits. Sunset Crater cinders were found on all project area sites. An isopach map of cinder depth constructed for this project indicates that, minimally, the U.S. 89 sites were covered with from 5-50 cm of volcanic material, which had a significant impact on prehistoric settlement, subsistence, and economic systems. Prehistoric adaptation to environmental variability, as well as to the Sunset Crater eruption, were primary research themes.

This volume presents the analyses of the non-ceramic artifacts from the 41 investigated sites. These artifacts comprise approximately 16.5 percent of the 98,329 total recovered artifacts: 15,610 pieces of flaked stone, 1,163 pieces of ground stone, 96 bone tools, 70 pieces of shell, and 237 miscellaneous artifacts, which include stone beads, jewelry, and pieces of pigment. Additionally, 3,493 pieces of unworked animal bone were also recovered.

Cite this Record

Sunset Crater Archaeology: The History of a Volcanic Landscape, Stone, Shell, Bone, and Mortuary Analyses. Mark D. Elson. 2006 ( tDAR id: 428159) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8428159

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
Cohonina • Sinagua

Material
Chipped Stone • Fauna • Ground Stone • Human Remains • Projectile points • Shell

Site Name
Ant Hill • AR-03-04-02-1534 • AR-03-04-02-1539 • AR-03-04-02-1541 • AR-03-04-02-1594 • AR-03-04-02-1640 • AR-03-04-02-1692 • AR-03-04-02-1693 • AR-03-04-02-1716 • AR-03-04-02-1798 • AR-03-04-02-2036 • AR-03-04-02-2109 • AR-03-04-02-2229 • AR-03-04-02-2256 • AR-03-04-02-2258 • AR-03-04-02-2591 • AR-03-04-02-2708 • AR-03-04-02-2753 • AR-03-04-02-2755 • AR-03-04-02-2756 • AR-03-04-02-2757 • AR-03-04-02-2758 • AR-03-04-02-3352 • AR-03-04-02-3664 • AR-03-04-02-3665 • AR-03-04-02-3666 • AR-03-04-02-3673 • AR-03-04-02-3675 • AR-03-04-02-3678 • AR-03-04-02-3679 • AR-03-04-02-3788 • AR-03-04-02-3789 • AR-03-04-02-3791 • AR-03-04-02-3792 • AR-03-04-02-3794 • AR-03-04-02-3795 • AR-03-04-02-3796 • AR-03-04-02-3797 • AR-03-04-02-3873 • AR-03-04-02-4105 • AR-03-04-02-4106 • AR-03-04-02-4117 • AZ I:10:10 (ASM) • AZ I:10:101 (ASM) • AZ I:10:104 (ASM) • AZ I:10:105 (ASM) • AZ I:10:107 (ASM) • AZ I:10:108 (ASM) • AZ I:10:109 (ASM) • AZ I:10:110 (ASM) • AZ I:10:112 (ASM) • AZ I:10:113 (ASM) • AZ I:10:114 (ASM) • AZ I:10:12 (ASM) • AZ I:10:120 (ASM) • AZ I:10:121 (ASM) • AZ I:10:122 (ASM) • AZ I:10:13 (ASM) • AZ I:10:14 (ASM) • AZ I:10:15 (ASM) • AZ I:10:16 (ASM) • AZ I:10:17 (ASM) • AZ I:10:18 (ASM) • AZ I:10:19 (ASM) • AZ I:10:20 (ASM) • AZ I:10:22 (ASM) • AZ I:10:38 (ASM) • AZ I:10:60 (ASM) • AZ I:10:61 (ASM) • AZ I:10:62 (ASM) • AZ I:10:63 (ASM) • AZ I:10:69 (ASM) • AZ I:10:71 (ASM) • AZ I:10:86 (ASM) • AZ I:10:90 (ASM) • AZ I:10:91 (ASM) • AZ I:10:92 (ASM) • AZ I:10:93 (ASM) • AZ I:10:94 (ASM) • AZ I:10:96 (ASM) • AZ I:10:97 (ASM) • AZ I:10:99 (ASM) • AZ I:6:5 (ASM) • AZ I:6:6 (ASM) • Bachelor House • Basalt Ridge • Borrow • Clay House • Corn Rock • Deadman's Edge • Deadman Flat • Dean • Divide • Elk • Full House • Homestead • Lenox Annex • Lenox Park • Little Elk • NA 18,417 • NA 18,621 • NA 18,625 • NA 18,630 • NA 18,680 • NA 181 • NA 19,007 • NA 20,700 • NA 21,087 • NA 21,089 • NA 21,090 • NA 21,091 • NA 21,092 • NA 21,103 • NA 21,104 • NA 21,131 • NA 25,751 • NA 25,752 • NA 25,753 • NA 25,754 • NA 25,755 • NA 25,756 • NA 25,762 • NA 25,764 • NA 25,766 • NA 25,767 • NA 25,769 • NA 25,770 • NA 25,771 • NA 25,772 • NA 25,773 • NA 25,774 • NA 25,775 • NA 25,776 • NA 25,777 • NA 25,779 • NA 25,780 • NA 25,949 • NA 25,996 • NA 420 • NA 860 • North End • Plainview • Road House • Seven • Slope • Snag Show More

Site Type
Archaeological Feature • Burial Pit • Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex • Domestic Structures • Fieldhouse • Funerary and Burial Structures or Features • Pit

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Bioarchaeological Research • Collections Research • Data Recovery / Excavation • Site Evaluation / Testing

General
Artifact Analysis • Bone Analysis • Dental Pathology • Mortuary Analysis • Shell Analysis

Geographic Keywords
Arizona (State / Territory) • Coconino (County) • Coconino National Forest • Fernwood, AZ • Flagstaff, AZ • Sunset Crater • U.S. 89 • Wupatki National Monument

Temporal Keywords
11th Century A.D. • 12th Century • Prehistoric

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1050 to 1125 (Eruption dates for the Sunset Crater.)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -111.624; min lat: 35.317 ; max long: -111.471; max lat: 35.706 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Salt River Project Cultural Resource Manager

Contributor(s): Jenny L. Adams; Shara E. Bailey; Lorrie Lincoln-Babb; Mark D. Elson; Margaret Glass; R. Jane Sliva; Kimberly Spurr; Arthur W. Vokes

Lab Director(s): Lisa Eppley

Prepared By(s): Center for Desert Archaeology

Submitted To(s): Arizona Department of Transportation Environmental and Enhancement Group

Record Identifiers

Anthropological Papers No.(s): 31

TRACS No.(s): 089 CN 434 H2022 02D

Contract No.(s): 97-41

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Contact(s): Salt River Project Cultural Resource Manager