Data Recovery at AZ U:5:33(ASM) Within the Pima Freeway Corridor, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona

Summary

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), acting on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration, is undertaking the construction of Highway 101 (Pima Freeway) in north-central Maricopa County. The mainline right-of-way was obtained horn the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) in the late 1980s. Archaeological Research Sendees, Inc. (ARS) suneyed most of the mainline and identified archaeological resources (Curtis and Stone 1988; B. Stone 1996; L. Stone 1989; Stone and Stone 1990). In conjunction with the environmental impact statement, Archaeological Consulting Sendees, Ltd., (ACS) surveyed additional parcels, relocated the sites found by ARS, and conducted testing and data recovery for those sites that could not be avoided by the construction (Adams et al. 1996; DeMaagd 1996; DeMaagd and Macnider 1993).

ADOT and its contractors later determined that new right-of-way and temporary construction easements (TCEs) were needed for the highway segment. Under contract to Sverdrup Civil, Inc., ACS conducted a literature review (Berg and Macnider 1999) and determined that the additional parcels— which were on Arizona state trust land administered by the ASLD— had been previously surveyed. AZ U:5:33(ASM), a large, low-density artifact scatter with Late Archaic and Hohokam components (Ellis and Smith 1999; Hackbarth 1997a, 1998; Woodall 1993) was located within the new project area. The site was determined eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) by the ASLD in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SFTPO).

Portions of U:5:33 had been previously investigated (e.g., Adams et al 1996; Hackbarth 1998). Consultation by ADOT, ASLD, and SHPO determined that additional excavations should occur in the portion of U:5:33 that will be impacted by the ADOT right-of-way. Subsequently, ACS prepared a data recovery plan (Phillips et al. 1999) that focused on (1) understanding the site formation processes from a geomorphological perspective; and (2) dating the associated cultural remains.

The fieldwork was conducted between May 5 and June 18, 1999 under Arizona State Museum (ASM) permit #l999-93ps. Field personnel included Greg Berg, field director; Bruce G. Phillips, geomorphologist; Lisa Champagne, assistant crew chief; and Terry Coriell, Thomas Jones, and Eloise Vincent, field archaeologists. Geomorphological examination of subsurface and wash deposits showed the site to be located on an active alluvial plain with numerous associated depositional and erosional events. The data recovery yielded 18 features dating to the Late Archaic period in the upper site deposits; another 153 features dating to the Middle Archaic period were discovered within the ADOT right-of-way near the 64th Street alignment.

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

Contributor(s): Deborah Ferguson; Margaret Glass; John Rapp

Record Identifiers

Cultural Resource Report No.(s): 116

ADOT TRACS No.(s): 101L MA 032 H4845 01C

Project No.(s): 99-21

File Information