Archaeological Investigations at the Southeastern Margin of the Valencia Site, AZ BB:13:15(ASM), Pima County, Arizona

Summary

Desert Archaeology, Inc., was contracted by Entranco, Inc., as part of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) improvement project to conduct phased archaeological data recovery prior to construction of a drainage ditch. The project area is located in the southeastern corner of the Valencia site (AZ BB:13:15 [ASM]), which is part of the larger Valencia community. The core area of the Valencia site is located at the southern end of the Valencia community. The community consists of the Valencia site, an unnamed Middle Rincon site (AZ BB:13:74 [ASM]), and several smaller sites (AZ BB:13:101 [ASM], AZ BB:13:103 [ASM], AZ BB:13:104 [ASM], AZ BB:13:105 [ASM], AZ BB:13:108 [ASM], AZ BB:13:145 [ASM], and AZ BB:13:223 [ASM]. The Valencia site contains a ballcourt, a plaza, trash mounds, and dense concentrations of surface artifacts. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, under Criterion D (Doelle 1983). The current project area is located in the southeastern corner of this portion of the site. The features discovered during this project date to the Colonial and Sedentary periods (A.D. 750-1150). The northern portion of the site is referred to as Valencia Vieja (Old Valencia), because it was occupied earlier than the southern portion. Valencia Vieja contains a plaza and features that date from the late Agua Caliente (A.D. 150-550) and Tortolita (A.D. 550-650) phases of the Early Ceramic period, as well as a Middle Rincon phase component (A.D 1000­ 1100). This report presents background information on the project, project setting, environmental setting, a cultural overview of the Tucson Basin, information about previous archaeological work at the site, methods and results of fieldwork, artifact analyses, macrobotanical and pollen analyses, geomorphology, and interpretations and conclusions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Desert Archaeology DAHA Resources   •
• Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA)

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1000 to 1100 (Midle Rincon Phase)

Calendar Date: 150 to 550 (Late Agua Caliente)

Calendar Date: 750 to 1150 (Colonial and Sedentary Period)

Calendar Date: 550 to 650 (Tortolita Phase)

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Contributor(s): Jenny L. Adams; Allison Cohen Diehl; Michael W. Diehl; Andrew R. Dutt; James M. Heidke; Elizabeth J. Miksa; Fred P. Nials; R. Jane Sliva; Susan J. Smith; Arthur W. Vokes

Prepared By(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Submitted To(s): Entranco, Inc.; Arizona Department of Transportation

Record Identifiers

State of Arizona General Antiquities Permit (s): 2000-3bl

Project Specific Permit (s): 2000-4ps-A1

File Information