Excavations of Feature 32, a Canal at AZ BB:13:794 (ASM), Tucson, Pima County, Arizona

Summary

In this document, the results of data recovery at AZ BB:13:794 (ASM) are reported. The work was done prior to construction by Pima County of a paved multiuse path along the western bank of the Santa Cruz River. BB:13:794 was recommended to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) under Criterion D, based on the potential of Feature 32 to yield significant information about prehistoric irrigation and farming in the Santa Cruz floodplain. Archaeological fieldwork for the Urban Loop Archaeology project was conducted prior to construction of a new path segment to join extant sections of the river path at the northern and southern ends.

The goals of the current project were to provide multiple exposures of the canal, profile the exposures, take samples from the canal and surrounding sediments, and to determine the age of the canal and the strata through which it cut, including a surface buried by a flood deposit that contained Hohokam era ceramics (see Appendix B). The fieldwork was conducted according to the approved data recovery plan for the project (Lindeman 2014a). Site eligibility and identification testing in the project area identified a large canal, Feature 32, belonging to BB:13:794 (Lindeman 2014a; see Appendix B). The results of the initial work are reported in Appendix B and were completed based on an approved plan for site eligibility and boundary definition testing (Lindeman 2014b).

This plan identified the primary site of investigation as AZ BB:13:834 (ASM), but noted the distinct possibility that canals associated with BB:13:794 could be encountered. The initial research design discussed BB:13:794 and the fieldwork plan approved by all parties showed east-west trenches extending east of BB:13:834. The stated goal of these trenches was to identify canals that may intersect the proposed path and, as such, they were excavated to the eastern extent of the floodplain. During the course of fieldwork, the east-west trenches crossed into Section 11, by approximately 75 m. This was not recognized during fieldwork. Feature 32 was exposed in profile in two trenches during the initial phase of fieldwork (see Appendix B). Canal features within a canal site are given unique feature numbers. Previous work at BB:13:794 identified four canals, designated Features 1-4 (Lindeman and Wocherl 2009). During the initial fieldwork, features associated with BB:13:794 were arbitrarily numbered, beginning with 30, to prevent overlap with any previously assigned features at the site. Feature 30 was assigned, then voided, because it was not a cultural feature; thus, the two canals identified during the first phase were numbered 31 and 32. As currently designed, the 20-ft-wide multiuse path would traverse the alignment of BB:13:794 at the southern end of the project area. Pima County requested that Desert Archaeology, Inc., undertake data recovery at BB:13:794 prior to path construction.

Fieldwork began on 25 August 2014, and finished on 29 August 2014, following a plan approved by Pima County, the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and the City of Tucson (Lindeman 2014a). Fourteen field person-days were expended. The project was conducted under Arizona Antiquities Act Project Specific Permit 2014-085ps (Accession No. 2014-200). Fieldwork included backhoe trenching and recording of the canal. Six canal exposures, spread over 180 m, were recorded. The methods and results of the fieldwork are described in subsequent chapters

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 860 to 1090 (Cienega Soil Date)

Calendar Date: 1000 to 1100 (Sherd Date)

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Contributor(s): James M. Heidke; Gary Huckleberry; Mary F. Ownby; Manuel R. Palacios-Fest

Prepared By(s): Desert Archaeology, Inc.

Submitted To(s): Office of Sustainability and Conservation

Record Identifiers

Arizona Antiquities Act Permit(s): 2014-85ps

Burial Agreement Case No.(s): 2014-023

File Information