Excavations at Pueblo del Rio (AZ T:12:116[ASM]), A Hohokam Village in West Phoenix, Arizona

Summary

Northland Research, Inc. (Northland) has completed archaeological investigations within a portion of the Pueblo del Rio site, AZ T:12:116(ASM), a large Hohokam habitation site located in southwest Phoenix. The investigations were designed to collect information and analyze materials from a sample of features at the site in order to mitigate the impacts of commercial development (Moore and Stahman 2007). The work was sponsored by the Stravinski Development Group, LLC, in conformance with Section 802(A.1) of the City of Phoenix Preservation Ordinance and the Office of the City Archaeologist, and to comply with regulations outlined in the Arizona Antiquities Act and A.R.S. §41-865 concerning the treatment of human remains. The site of Pueblo del Rio has been determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places on the basis of its potential to inform on the prehistory of south-central Arizona (Criterion D).

Northland’s archaeological investigations at Pueblo del Rio were conducted in two phases—an extensive testing phase (Phase 1) followed by an intensive excavation phase (Phase 2). The testing phase was conducted between December 28, 2006 and January 15, 2007 under the direction of Scotty B. Moore. Eighty backhoe trenches, totaling 1,584 linear meters, were excavated as part of testing, resulting in the discovery of 83 cultural features, including 5 pit houses, 10 possible pit houses, 2 prehistoric canals, 59 non-thermal pits, 3 thermal pits, 2 middens, 1 trash layer, and 1 secondary cremation. Temporally diagnostic ceramics observed during testing suggested the site was occupied primarily during the Hohokam Colonial period, ca. A.D. 750-950, though a possible Sedentary period component, ca. A.D. 950-1150, was also noted (Moore and Gage 2007). Based on this evidence, Northland recommended that additional archaeological investigations be conducted to mitigate the adverse effects of development on the site (Moore and Stahman 2007).

Fieldwork for Phase 2 data recovery was conducted between February 21 and May 11, 2007 under the direction of Gina S. Gage. A roughly 6,300 square meter area was mechanically stripped as part of these data recovery efforts, resulting in the discovery of 583 features associated with the prehistoric occupation of Pueblo del Rio. Among the feature types identified were pit houses, thermal pits, non-thermal pits, trash concentrations, artifact caches, burials, and canals. Both cremations and inhumations were found in the portion of the site investigated. Priority during the excavations was given to removing all human remains, determining if features identified in the southern portion of the project area were associated with an Early Agricultural or Late Archaic component, and exploring Hohokam features in the central portion of the project area. Following City of Phoenix archaeological guidelines (Bostwick 2006:15), efforts were made to bound the distribution of burials by establishing a 10-m buffer zone around burial features.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• City of Phoenix DAHA Resources   •
• Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): City of Phoenix Archaeology Office

Sponsor(s): Stravinski Development Group, LLC

Prepared By(s): Northland Research Inc.

Record Identifiers

PGM No.(s): 2006-35

NRI Project No.(s): 06-61DR

File Information