Pueblo Grande (AZ U:9:1(ASM)): Unit 13, Northeast Corner of Van Buren and 44th Streets: Soil Systems, Inc. AZ Federal Credit Union Testing and Data Recovery Project

Summary

Between 22 April and 8 May 1997, personnel from Soil Systems, Inc. (SSI) completed archaeological test excavations on a 3.26-acre parcel, scheduled for commercial development by the Arizona Federal Credit Union (AFCU) at the northeast corner of 44th and Van Buren Streets in Phoenix, Arizona. The archaeological work was conducted under SSI Project No. 97-09. Based on previous research, the parcel was believed to be located near the northwest edge of the large Hohokam village site of Pueblo Grande (AZ U:9:1(ASM), see Bostwick and Downum 1994a; Downum and Bostwick 1993; Breternitz 1994). Because archaeological remains were known to exist immediately northeast, east, and south of the property (Breternitz et al. 1990; Hackbarth, Henderson, and Hutira 1993; Hulen et al. 1987; Leonard,n.d.; Kwiatkowski 1996), it was considered probable that the property (defined as Unit 13 of Pueblo Grande) would also contain archaeological remains. Therefore, a program of test excavations was implemented prior to any construction activity to investigate whether archaeological remains were present and to comply with A.R.S. 41-865.

The test excavations encountered intact prehistoric deposits in the south part of Unit 13, including structures, midden deposits, borrow pits, extramural features, and possible burials. One isolated human hand bone was also encountered, but its association with any intact burial pit could not be determined. Throughout Unit 13, the upper limits of all possible inhumation pits and most other prehistoric cultural features were greater than 0.55 m from the present ground surface.

The test excavations also demonstrated that any prehistoric remains in the north, central, and west-central parts of Unit 13 would have been destroyed by previous construction, demolition, and earth-moving activities that occurred before the property was acquired by the present owners.

Construction of the AFCU facility began in late May 1997. Daily archaeological monitoring was performed during the initial earth-moving activities from May through early July 1997. Through this phase of construction, the original building plans were closely followed in the area where prehistoric remains were present, and no disturbance of prehistoric remains was observed.

In late March 1998, as construction was nearing completion, SSI personnel became aware that two utility lines were being installed in the south part of the parcel that had not been present on the original plans. Therefore, construction activities were interrupted in those areas while archaeological inspection of the new excavations occurred. Thereafter, all further activities related to these installations were monitored in the southern part of the parcel. The utility excavations exposed three prehistoric features in or adjacent to the property, including one burial. The features were documented, and the burial was excavated for repatriation and reburial elsewhere.

Finally, in May 1998, SSI personnel monitored the excavation of seven holes for the installation of palm trees in the southwestern part of the parcel. These excavations exposed two additional, nonmortuary features, which were mapped and documented.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Soil Systems   •
• Pueblo Grande (AZ U:9:1(ASM)): Unit 13, Northeast Corner of Van Buren and 44th Streets   •
• Pueblo Grande (AZ U:9:1(ASM)): Unit 13, Northeast Corner of Van Buren and 44th Streets: Soil Systems, Inc. AZ Federal Credit Union Testing and Data Recovery

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Principal Investigator(s): Cory D. Breternitz

Project Director(s): Banks L. Leonard

Record Identifiers

Soil Systems Project No.(s): 97-09

Notes

General Note: Please note that SSI recorded the Pueblo Grande number as AZ U:9:7(ASM), which is the designation for a portion of Pueblo Grande. The correct number for the site as a whole is AZ U:9:1(ASM).