Rio Nuevo Archaeology, 2000‐2003: Investigations at the San Agustín Mission and Mission Gardens, Tucson Presidio, Tucson Pressed Brick Company, and Clearwater Site

Summary

Between October 2000 and January 2003, Desert Archaeology, Inc., conducted archaeological investigations at seven locations for the City of Tucson as part of the Rio Nuevo Archaeology project. The City of Tucson plans to revitalize the downtown area, including the re-creation of the historic San Agustín Mission and the Spanish Presidio fortress, as well as the construction of new homes and businesses. Excavations were conducted to either provide basic data for planned reconstructions, or to mitigate the effects of development.

Hundreds of cultural features were excavated, with more than 160,000 artifacts recovered. This work documented 4,100 years of occupation and 3,500 years of irrigated agriculture in the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River just west of downtown Tucson, Arizona. Well-preserved remains of the late eighteenth century Spanish period mission and mission gardens were also revealed on the western side of the river, as was a portion of the Tucson Presidio, founded in 1775, on the eastern side. Territorial period features and artifacts could be associated with Chinese gardeners and residents of a boardinghouse. These findings establish Tucson as one of the oldest continuously occupied settlements in the United States.

Public interest in the project was high, with an estimated 5,000 visitors during the course of fieldwork. Exhibits at the Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division, museum brought the Rio Nuevo project to a much larger audience.

The 22 chapters and two appendices of this report summarize the results of fieldwork, providing descriptions of archaeological features and analyses of the artifact assemblages recovered during the project.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Contributor(s): Jenny L. Adams; Judi L. Cameron; Sergio F. Castro-Reino; Owen K. Davis; Robert Dayhoff; Beth DeWitt; Michael W. Diehl; Elizabeth Eklund; Douglas Gann; Gwen Harvey; James M. Heidke; Jennifer Kahn; Thomas Klimas; Vince M. LaMotta; Carlos P. Lavayen; Jonathan B. Mabry; John McClelland; Kyle McKoy; Elizabeth J. Miksa; Caroline Ogasawara; Manuel R. Palacios-Fest; Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman; Annamarie Schaecher; Peter D. Schulz; M. Steven Shackley; R. Jane Sliva; Susan L. Stinson; J. Homer Thiel; Arthur W. Vokes; Jennifer A. Waters; Caramia Williams

Prepared By(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Submitted To(s): City of Tucson

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