On the Border: Analysis of Materials Recovered from the 1964 and 1991-1992 Excavations at the Garden Canyon Site (AZ EE: 11: 13 ASM)

Summary

The Garden Canyon site (AZ EE: 11: 13 ASM) is located in the middle San Pedro River valley in southeast Arizona on lands administered by Fort Huachuca. The site's significance is well known, perhaps best exemplified by its listing in 1974 on the National Register of Historic Places. Although three major excavation efforts have been conducted on the site, prior to this contract, a systematic analysis of the recovered artifacts had never been conducted. In 1993, Statistical Research, Inc. (SRI), was contracted by Fort Huachuca (Contract No. DABT63-93-D-001 l, Delivery Order 2) to catalog and analyze the collections held by the post. These included a portion of the 1964 collection recovered by Jon Young of the University of Arizona, and the entire 1991-1992 collection excavated by Dr. Marie Cottrell, then Post Archaeologist at Fort Huachuca. All artifacts and records from the analyses reported herein will be curated at Fort Huachuca.

The analyses covered chipped stone, ground stone, shell, ceramics, and faunal remains. Only a sample of these materials recovered during the 1964 excavations were available for analysis, the remainder have been either lost or stolen. All material remains recovered during the 1991-1992 excavations were analyzed, except fragments of human bone that were discovered during the faunal analysis and set aside. Note* Attached in this entry is the faunal analysis.

The excavations produced a relatively large quantity off faunal remains. These remains indicate that hunting strategies concentrated on rabbits, especially cottontails, and to a lesser extent on artiodactyls. The presence of certain taxa that prefer more mesic habitats than exist in the canyon mouth today point to a marsh-like environment in Garden Canyon during the Formative occupation. The distribution of artiodactyl body elements suggests that large animals, such as deer and antelope, were rare near the site. These animals were procured far enough away that they were butchered at remote locations; overhunting of deer is a possible cause for the scarcity of artiodactyls.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SRI Press

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): SRI Press

Contributor(s): Alexander V. Benitez; Bruce A. Jones; Robert P. Jones; Keith B. Knoblock; Robert H. Towner; Arthur W. Vokes; Lynne Yamaguchi; Susan A. Martin

Principal Investigator(s): Jeffrey Altschul; Steve Shelley

Landowner(s): Department of the Army, Fort Huachuca, Arizona

Repository(s): Department of the Army, Fort Huachuca, Arizona

Prepared By(s): Statistical Research, Inc.

Submitted To(s): Department of the Army, Fort Huachuca, Arizona

Record Identifiers

Delivery Order No.(s): 2

Contract No.(s): DABT63-93-D-0011

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