Archaeological Monitoring for the 6th/8th Avenue Water Main, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona

Summary

The City of Phoenix Project Number WS85500323 involved installation of a buried water main, 76 centimeters (cm) (30 inches) in diameter, from the intersection of 6th Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. The City of Phoenix Archaeology Office recommended that construction excavation be archaeologically monitored within the original Phoenix townsite, AZ T:12:42(ASM), and at the crossing of the alignment of the historic Phoenix Street Railway, AZ T:12:224(ASM). The City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department retained URS Corporation to conduct the archaeological monitoring as Task URS-002 under Contract No. 124953. Construction began in November 2009 but the unfinished project was suspended in January 2010. The assumption that the work would resume relatively soon was incorrect, and in October 2011, after a 22-month delay, the Street Transportation Department directed URS to prepare this report to document the goals, methods, and results of the archaeological monitoring that had been conducted. Because the original contract expired, this report was completed as Task URS-11-03 under Contract 130043.

The project identified a set of parallel tracks of the historic Phoenix Street Railway and another set of parallel tracks buried along another intersection. The heavy standard-gauge rails on metal ties set in concrete at both locations probably were installed during upgrades made in the 1920s. The monitoring identified no archaeological features related to the original Phoenix townsite. One Hohokam potsherd was the only evidence of prehistoric use of the area, and it appears to have been from fill materials placed after earlier installation of a buried utility line. Monitoring identified only a few other artifacts of historic or modern age, including fragments of what appear to be ceramic tile, a shard of a possible glazed earthenware jug or jar, a brick fragment, and two shards of an olive green bottle that probably held champagne or other wine. The collected artifacts will be curated at the Pueblo Grande Museum.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): City of Phoenix Archaeology Office

Prepared By(s): URS Corporation

Submitted To(s): City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department

Record Identifiers

Pueblo Grande Museum Reference Number(s): 2008-97

Street Transportation Department Tracking Numbers(s): URS-002 ; URS-11-03

URS Corporation Jobs (s): 23445745

URS Corporation Jobs(s): 23446249

Contract(s): 130043

URS Cultural Resource Report(s): 2012-8(AZ)

City of Phoenix Project Number(s): WS85500323

File Information