Archaeological Investigations at Sites AZ BB:9:105 and 179 (ASM) Within Rancho Vistoso, Oro Valley, Arizona: The Stone Canyon Data Recovery Project

Author(s): Thomas D. Yoder; S. Jerome Hesse

Year: 2000

Summary

On June 30 through July 15, 1999, archaeologists from SWCA, Inc., Environmental Consultants conducted archaeological data recovery at two sites, AZ BB:9:105 and 179 (ASM), in Rancho Vistoso, Oro Valley, Arizona. Vistoso Partners proposes to build custom homes there as part of the Stone Canyon development. The archaeological resources on the parcel are to be treated according to the provisions of the Rancho Vistoso Planned Area Development agreement between Vistoso Partners and the Town of Oro Valley, Arizona. This document requires that the cultural resources be managed in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and guidelines.

A Class III (full pedestrian) archaeological survey of the entire Rancho Vistoso property was conducted by the Institute for American Research (now Desert Archaeology) of Tucson (Craig and Wallace 1987). In 1995, SWCA conducted archaeological testing at 14 sites, including the two sites involved in the Stone Canyon Data Recovery Project. All of the sites involved in the testing phase contained remains from the Tucson Basin Hohokam, including Sleeping Snake Village, a large ballcourt village that is believed to be the focus of Hohokam occupation in the area during the Sedentary period (Craig and Wallace 1987). The 13 remaining sites are considerably smaller sites that appear to have been associated with resource procurement and processing activities. Among these sites are the two sites involved in the current project, AZ BB:9:105 and 179 (ASM).

AZ BB:9:105 (ASM) consisted of four features and a Hohokam sherd and lithic scatter. It was first recorded by Pima Community College as part of their survey of the eastern Tortolita pediment (Hewitt and Stephen 1981), and it was subsequently re-recorded and systematically surface-sampled as part of the Rancho Vistoso Survey Project conducted by the Institute for American Research (IAR) (Craig and Wallace 1987). A large, 20 x 10 m roasting area and a small rock cluster were the only features with surface exposure. The site was located on a relatively flat surface of silty sand, small gravel, and localized areas of granitic bedrock.

AZ BB:9:179 (ASM) consisted of four features and a Hohokam sherd and lithic scatter. It was first recorded by the Institute for American Research as part the Rancho Vistoso Survey Project (Craig and Wallace 1987). The only surface-exposed feature was a cupule situated directly adjacent to a grinding slick on a small outcrop of granite. Two thermal pits and a pithouse were found and excavated during the recent data recovery of this site. The site is located on a low, gently east-sloping surface of silty sand, small gravel, and small, localized outcrops of granitic bedrock.

This document contains comprehensive information about the Stone Canyon Data Recovery Project. Chapter 1 provides background information about the project area, while Chapter 2 describes the research design that was used to investigate the Stone Canyon Project sites. Chapter 3 details the results of the data recovery program at Stone Canyon, Chapter 4 presents conclusions concerning the research conducted during the project, and Appendices A through E contain the results of detailed analyses that were conducted on the various artifacts and samples that were collected from the project sites.

Cite this Record

Archaeological Investigations at Sites AZ BB:9:105 and 179 (ASM) Within Rancho Vistoso, Oro Valley, Arizona: The Stone Canyon Data Recovery Project, 4. Thomas D. Yoder, S. Jerome Hesse. 2000 ( tDAR id: 441073) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8441073

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Keywords

Culture
Hohokam • Huhugam

Material
Basalt • Buffware • Ceramic • Chipped Stone • Cores • Core tool • Dating Sample • Fire Cracked Rock • Gila Plainware • Ground Stone • Hammerstone • Handstone • Macrobotanical • Mano • metate • Micaceous Ware • netherstones • Plainware • Pollen • Quartzite • Red-on-Brown • Scrapers • Thyolite

Site Name
AZ BB:9:105 (ASM) • AZ BB:9:179 (ASM)

Site Type
Archaeological Feature • Artifact Scatter • Ball Court • Entryway • Hearth • Non-Domestic Structures • Pit • Pit House • Posthole • Quarry • Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features • Roasting Pit / Oven / Horno • Thermal Rock Pit

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Data Recovery / Excavation • Environment Research • Historic Background Research • Reconnaissance / Survey • Records Search / Inventory Checking • Research Design / Data Recovery Plan

General
Botanical Analysis • Ceramic Artifact Analysis • Flaked Stone Analysis • Ground Stone Analysis • Radiocarbon Analysis

Geographic Keywords
Arizona (State / Territory) • Arizona Upland Subdivision • Cañada del Oro Valley • Honeybee Canyon • Oro Valley, AZ • Pima (County) • Rancho Vistoso • Sleeping Snake Village • Sonoran Desert • Tortolita Mountains • Tucson Basin

Temporal Keywords
Classic Period • Colonial Period • Cortaro Phase • Late Rincon Phase • Middle Rincon Phase • Rillito Phase • Sacaton Phase • Santa Cruz Phase • Sedentary Period • Tanque Verde Phase

Spatial Coverage

min long: -111.352; min lat: 32.293 ; max long: -110.674; max lat: 32.78 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): SWCA Environmental Consultants

Prepared By(s): SWCA Environmental Consultants

Submitted To(s): Vistoco Partners

File Information

  Name Size Creation Date Date Uploaded Access
00-4_OCR_PDFA_Redacted.pdf 3.66mb Jan 5, 2021 3:33:25 PM Public
This file is the redacted version of the resource.
00-4_OCR_PDFA.pdf 4.45mb Oct 2, 2000 Mar 30, 2018 11:06:11 AM Confidential
This file is the unredacted version of the resource.

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Contact(s): SWCA Environmental Consultants

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