Uncovering Tucson's Past: Test Excavations in Search of the Presidio Wall
Author(s): J. Homer Thiel
Year: 2004
Summary
In March and April of 1998 and 1999, volunteers and archaeologists from the Center for Desert Archaeology searched for traces of Tucson's Presidio fortress. The project had several goals: (1) to determine if archaeological deposits survived in several areas around the perimeter of the Presidio; it was not certain if archaeological deposits survived years of construction, demolition, utility installation, and other ground-disturbing activities; (2) to locate portions of the Presidio Wall — the adobe wall that surrounded Tucson from the 1780s to the 1850s; and (3) to expose members of the Tucson public to archaeology. Volunteers from the community excavated under the guidance of professional archaeologists. Tucson residents visited the project in person, or learned of the dig through television coverage, newspaper and newsletter articles, or through stories posted on the Internet.
During the two field seasons, six trenches around the perimeter of the Presidio were excavated, uncovering adobe walls, postholes, and hundreds of artifacts. This report presents a summary of the work conducted. This first chapter presents background data on the physical environment of Tucson. A cultural and historical overview of Tucson during the prehistoric and Spanish/Mexican periods is presented next, including summaries of the archaeological projects that have been conducted within the boundaries of the Tucson Presidio.
Cite this Record
Uncovering Tucson's Past: Test Excavations in Search of the Presidio Wall, 05. J. Homer Thiel. 2004 ( tDAR id: 448090) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8448090
This Resource is Part of the Following Collections
Keywords
Culture
Chinese American
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Euroamerican
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Historic
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Hohokam
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Huhugam
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Japanese American
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Spanish
Material
Brick
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Ceramic
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Chipped Stone
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Fauna
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Glass
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Ground Stone
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Macrobotanical
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Metal
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Shell
Site Name
AZ AA:12:16
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AZ AA:163
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EK Ranch
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Presidio Wall
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West Branch
Site Type
Artifact Scatter
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Foundation
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Garden Border
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Hearth
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Pit
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Pit House / Earth Lodge
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Post Hole / Post Mold
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Rock Alignment
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Tree Well
Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation
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Historic Background Research
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Reconnaissance / Survey
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Records Search / Inventory Checking
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Site Evaluation / Testing
Geographic Keywords
Arizona (State / Territory)
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson Basin
Temporal Keywords
Classic Period
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Early American Territorial period
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Hohokam Pioneer period
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Middle Rincon Phase
Temporal Coverage
Calendar Date: 1850 to 1870 (Early American Territorial period)
Spatial Coverage
min long: -110.987; min lat: 32.209 ; max long: -110.954; max lat: 32.234 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.
Contributor(s): Jenny L. Adams; Michael W. Diehl; James M. Heidke; Jennifer A. Waters
Prepared By(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.
Submitted To(s): City of Tucson
File Information
| Name | Size | Creation Date | Date Uploaded | Access | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tr2002-05_final_OCR_Redacted.pdf | 129.33mb | Nov 3, 2020 11:55:11 AM | Public | ||
| This file is the redacted version of the resource. | |||||
| tr2002-05_final_OCR_PDFA.pdf | 81.02mb | Sep 1, 2004 | Feb 21, 2019 10:02:41 AM | Confidential | |
| This file is the unredacted version of the resource. | |||||
Accessing Restricted Files
At least one of the files for this resource is restricted from public view. For more information regarding access to these files, please reference the contact information below
Contact(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.