By the Field of Francisco Solano León, Further Exploration of the León Family Farmstead, AZ AA:13:505 (ASM), and the Eastside Canals, AZ BB:13:642 (ASM), Tucson, Pima County, Arizona

Summary

The El Rio Community Health Center in Tucson, Arizona, is planning on building a parking lot on a portion of an archaeological easement associated with the historic period León farm stead, AZ BB:13:505 (ASM), and the prehistoric period Eastside canals, AZ BB:13:642 (ASM). The archaeological easement was established in 1999 following the discovery of the two sites. Archaeological fieldwork for this project was undertaken in 2013 to mitigate the damage to these significant cultural resources through the construction of the planned parking lot.

The León farmstead was occupied from the 1840s to the 1910s, by members of a prominent Tucson Mexican-American family. The current project area was located east of the León house foundation in an area known to have archaeological features. Stripping the plowzone away from this area revealed several dozen features. Eight were chosen for complete or partial excavation, providing a sample of items discarded by the León family from the 1860s to the 1910s. The distribution of features suggest the Leóns maintained a backyard area with trees, bushes, and other plants, perhaps serving as an outdoor refuge when the summer heat made staying inside difficult. Other activities that occurred outside the house included water collection, human waste disposal, and trash disposal.

Research on the prehistoric and historic canals sought to determine their date of use, where the water originated from, and if they were related to a set of canals. Four prehistoric canals originally found in 1999 were reexposed in Trench 101. A new profile of the trench was drawn, and radiocarbon and optically stimulated thermoluminescence samples were collected, as were all visible sherds. The ceramics suggest the canals operated between A.D. 850 and 1150. Flood-deposited sands below the canals probably originated from a flood dating to about A.D. 1000, likely narrowing the canal dates to A.D. 1000-1150. A radiocarbon date on the underlying cienega clays provided an Early Ceramic to very early Pioneer period date for the clays. The canals appear to have turned abruptly at the location of the trench and the fast water flow was not conducive to ostracode or mollusk deposition. Sediments in the canal suggest the water came from the Santa Cruz River. In contrast, sediments found in the canals at the Canal Site, to the north, suggest the water that ran through those canals came from either a spring or runoff from upslope.

One of the two historic canals had a double channel. Its date of construction and use could not be determined by documentary resources, but it is almost certainly related to the León farmstead, probably from the nineteenth century. The canal originated from the Santa Cruz River. The other historic canal was constructed in the mid-1890s, and was concrete lined in 1912-1913. It remained in use until about 1940. The water originated from a spring or a well.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Contributor(s): Richard Spaulding; Jenny L. Adams; Michael W. Diehl; James M. Heidke; Mary F. Ownby; Manuel R. Palacios-Fest; Stacy L. Ryan; Christine H. Virden-Lange; Patricia Castalia

Prepared By(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Submitted To(s): El Rio Community Health Center

Record Identifiers

ASM Accession No.(s): 2013-418

File Information