Preliminary Results of Archaeological Testing and Recommendations for Monitoring, Additional Testing, and Data Recovery: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Center Runway (7L-25R) Reconstruction Project

Summary

Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (ACS), of Tempe, Arizona, has completed Phase I archaeological testing and small-scale data recovery at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The “Phase I” testing and data recovery is actually the second of a multi-phase project. The first monitored geotechnical boring and coring (Ryan et al. 2001); subsequent phases will include additional monitoring, testing, and data recovery. ACS carried out these activities as a subcontractor to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. (Kimley-Horn), who, under contract to the City of Phoenix, are designing the reconstruction of the center runway (7L-25R) at Sky Harbor. The reconstruction will modify the existing center runway, including taxiways, connectors, aprons, parking areas. In addition, two construction staging areas, two batch plants, and a borrow site will be used by the contractor during the course of construction.

The entire airport is highly modified by grading, modem fill, paving, and building; thus, the ground surface offers few clues to what lies beneath. However, the airport is bounded by known historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, including Pueblo Salado to the immediate west and within the project area (Greenwald et al. 1995, 1996a; Greenwald and Ballagh 1996), Dutch Canal Ruin to the northwest (Greenwald et al. 1994; Henderson 2000a, 2000b), Pueblo Grande to the northeast (Bostwick and Downum 1994; Downum and Bostwick 1993), and Park of Four Waters to the east. The documented presence of these sites led ACS to project that additional cultural remains would he beneath the center runway project area (Archaeological Consulting Services 2001b).

The fieldwork was guided by a plan of work for testing and data recovery (Archaeological Consulting Services 2001b), and was conducted under the authority of Arizona Antiquities Act Project Specific Permit 2001-66ps, issued by the Arizona State Museum. The plan of work was reviewed and approved by representatives of the City of Phoenix, Federal Aviation Administration, and the State Historic Preservation Office. Because the reconstruction project was being designed, and because the precise project footprint was unknown at the time that the work plan was reviewed and approved, these parties agreed that the specifics of the plan would remain fluid while staying within approved archaeological discovery and data recovery procedures. Accordingly, Kimley-Horn, ACS, and the Phoenix’s City Archaeologist, Todd Bostwick, developed a process of continual consultation, memorandum reports, field visits, and review. Twenty memorandum reports were prepared and submitted during the testing phase, which began on April 30, 2001, and ended October 19, 2001.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• City of Phoenix DAHA Resources   •
• Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): City of Phoenix Archaeology Office

Prepared By(s): Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd.

Submitted To(s): City of Phoenix, Aviation Department; Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.

Record Identifiers

ACS Project No.(s): 00-119

File Information