Their Own Road: Archaeological Investigations along State Route 260 Payson to Heber - Christopher Creek Section and Sharp Creek Campground

Author(s): Sarah A. Herr; CaraMia R. Whitney

Year: 2014

Summary

In this volume, the easternmost portion of the State Route (SR) 260 —Payson to Heber Archaeological project is described. Driving east from where the SR 260 project begins near Payson, Arizona, the environment changes from rolling hills and meadows to narrow ridges and perennial streams. There are few open areas as the road winds between the Mogollon Rim to the north and Christopher Mountain to the south. Prehistoric and historic sites are situated on the hills and terraces above the permanent waterways, including Christopher Creek, Sharp Creek, and Hunter Creek. These streams provide natural corridors through a rugged environment. A mile east of the Christopher Creek segment, the road begins a steep, 2-mile climb up the Mogollon Rim to crest in the aspen forests of the Chevelon drainage.

The planned realignment of SR 260 between Payson and Heber by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has resulted in a multiphase archaeological investigation of the construction right-of-way. Although the overall construction project is 46 miles long, surveys only identified archaeological sites in the western 22 miles of the project, in the area below the Mogollon Rim on the Tonto National Forest (TNF). Construction work is planned in six phases, from west to east, Lion Springs, Preacher Canyon, Little Green Valley, Kohls Ranch, Doubtful Canyon, and Christopher Creek. The most dangerous sections of the highway are scheduled for realignment first; therefore, the archaeological work does not follow an orderly west-to-east progression.

The first portion of the highway to be constructed was the Preacher Canyon section, located between mileposts 260 and 263 near the western end of the project area (Herr, ed. 2012).

This report describes the results of investigations in the Christopher Creek section and Sharp Creek Campground. The Christopher Creek section is the second portion of the highway to be investigated and one of the longest sections in the SR 260 project area, located between mileposts 272 and 278. Because highway construction will remove U.S. Forest Service camping spaces elsewhere in the SR 260 project area, Sharp Creek Campground was constructed as part of the ADOT project. The Sharp Creek Campground is adjacent to the Christopher Creek section, and although fieldwork was conducted in separate phases, the sites are discussed together.

The testing phase at the Sharp Creek Campground was conducted in November and December 1999, and data recovery was conducted between April and June 2000. The testing phase investigations of the Christopher Creek section were conducted in May and June 2000, and data recovery was conducted in October and November 2000. In all, 17 sites, dating between 1360 B.C. and the late Historic era, were investigated. Approximately 507 person-days were expended on fieldwork.

Cite this Record

Their Own Road: Archaeological Investigations along State Route 260 Payson to Heber - Christopher Creek Section and Sharp Creek Campground, 5. Sarah A. Herr, CaraMia R. Whitney. 2014 ( tDAR id: 448126) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8448126

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
Hohokam • Late Archaic • Middle Archaic • Mogollon

Material
Basketry • Building Materials • Ceramic • Chipped Stone • Dating Sample • Fauna • Fire Cracked Rock • Glass • Ground Stone • Human Remains • Lithic • Macrobotanical • Metal • Mineral • Pollen • Shell • Wood

Site Name
ADOT Yard Site • AR-03-12-04-1014 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-1242 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-1394 • AR-03-12-04-1428 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-1430 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-1431 • AR-03-12-04-1432 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-1435 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-1475 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-1548 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-368 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-379 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-445 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-457 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-748 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-749 (ASM/TNF) • AR-03-12-04-823 (ASM/TNF) • AZ O:12:40 • AZ O:12:72 • AZ O:12:73 • AZ P:16 • AZ P:9:15 • AZ P:9:17 • AZ P:9:18 • AZ P:9:26 • AZ P:9:28 • AZ P:9:29 • AZ P:9:37 • AZ P:9:38 • AZ P:9:39 • AZ P:9:41 • AZ P:9:42 • AZ P:9:43 • AZ P:9:6 • Chiseler Hill • Grub Steak • Hunter Creek Road • Karaoke Falls • Little Bird • Shash Bigowa • Tangleroot • The Prayer Site • Wild Onion Ridge Show More

Site Type
Archaeological Feature • Artifact Scatter • Bridge • Building Substructure • Burial Pit • Butchering / Kill Site • Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex • Domestic Structures • Encampment • Hamlet / Village • Hearth • Midden • Mound / Earthwork • Petroglyph • Pit • Pit House / Earth Lodge • Post Hole / Post Mold • Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features • Road • Roasting Pit / Oven / Horno • Rock Alignment • Rock Shelter • Room Block / Compound / Pueblo • Settlements • Terrace • Water Control Feature • Wattle & Daub (Jacal) Structure Show More

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Data Recovery / Excavation • Heritage Management • Historic Background Research

General
Macrobotanical Analysis • Pollen Analysis

Geographic Keywords
Arizona (State / Territory) • AZ 260 • Christopher Creek • Heber • Payson • Sharp Creek

Spatial Coverage

min long: -112.05; min lat: 34.43 ; max long: -111.413; max lat: 34.734 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Contributor(s): Jenny L. Adams; William L. Deaver; Allison Cohen Diehl; Michael W. Diehl; Susan D. Hall; James M. Heidke; Sarah A. Herr; Bruce B. Hucknell; Lorrie Lincoln-Babb; Penny Dufoe Minturn; Bruce G. Phillips; Stacy L. Ryan; R. Jane Silva; Susan J. Smith; Susan L. Stinson; Arthur W. Vokes; Jennifer A. Waters

Repository(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Prepared By(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Submitted To(s): Arizona Department of Transportation, Environmental and Enhancement Group, Historic Preservation Team

File Information

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tr2003-05_final_OCR_PDFA_Redacted.pdf 127.73mb Nov 5, 2020 3:38:05 PM Public
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tr2003-05_final_OCR_PDFA.pdf 138.75mb Oct 1, 2014 Mar 5, 2019 4:46:10 PM Confidential
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Contact(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

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