Pueblo Grande (AZ U:9:1(ASM)): Unit 13, Northeast Corner of Van Buren and 44th Streets: Soil Systems, Inc. DMB Utility Trench Monitoring

Summary

In March 1998, Soil Systems archaeologists monitored and inspected the construction of three utility lines for the DMB Corporation on a parcel of land (in Unit 13 of Pueblo Grande) east of 44th Street and north of Van Buren Street, along the northern margin of the Hohokam site of Pueblo Grande (AZ U:9:1(ASM)), in Phoenix, Arizona. The utility lines (a water line, a sanitary sewer, and a storm sewer) were intended to service a newly constructed street and/or two newly constructed buildings on the 10.48 acre DMB parcel. The archaeological work conducted for the DMB utility trenches was treated as SSI Project No. 90-08 (part of ASM Case No. 97-15 [testing and burial removal on DMB parcel; see http://core.tdar.org/project/366734) (see final report here http://core.tdar.org/document/374216). Concurrently, SSI also monitored the installation of a phone line and part of a sewer line that crossed adjacent property owned by the Arizona Federal Credit Union. This archaeological work was conducted as part of SSI Project No. 97-09 (ASM Case No. 97-17) (see http://core.tdar.org/project/372316).

SSI had conducted testing and burial removal projects in the DMB parcel, but was not initially notified or consulted about the construct of the utility lines. From April to July, 1997, SSI conducted two archaeological projects on adjacent parcels (Units 11 and 13 of Pueblo Grande) east of 44th Street and north of Van Buren Street. Both parcels were originally owned by DMB Corporation (DMB), but a 3.26 acre portion (Unit 13 of Pueblo Grande) at the northwest corner of 44th and Van Buren was sold to the Arizona Federal Credit Union (AFCU) before fieldwork began. The remaining 10.48 acres (Unit 11), located east of the AFCU parcel, was still owned by DMB at the time fieldwork began. These parcels will be referred to as the DMB and AFCU parcels. Both landowners contracted SSI to perform archaeological test excavations. At the DMB parcel, fieldwork was conducted as SSI Project No. 97-02 with ASM Case No. 97-15. At the AFCU parcel, fieldwork was performed as SSI Project No. 97-09 with ASM Case No. 97-17.

When SSI became aware of the construction of utility lines in March 1998, archaeologists learned that DMB was undertaking the installation of three of the four utility lines as part of a sales agreement for an adjacent parcel that had not existed at the time of the consultation of May 6, 1997. In addition, they discovered that two of the three utility lines would be partly located within a City easement under the private street. These lines associated with DMB street construction did cross areas likely to contain intact prehistoric contexts.

By the time SSI was able to take action on March 23, 1998, some of the installation work had already been done. Contractors had dug and refilled the storm sewer line beginning on March 17. At night on March 19 to 20, the contractors began excavating the sanitary sewer line under Van Buren Street, beginning from the west end of the line under the intersection of 44th and Van Buren Streets. That section was refilled and paved over before SSI observed that it had occurred.

After 23 March, the remaining installation activities were monitored by SSI, both under Van Buren Street and under the new street in its southernmost section. SSI also required the contractors to reexcavate all the trench segments in Van Buren Street that had been refilled but not paved. SSI cleaned and inspected the walls of all the accessible trench sections and manholes and documented all prehistoric features that were exposed. Thirty-one prehistoric features were documented in the sanitary sewer line; the features included numerous pits, several trash deposits, a midden, an horno, three sections of compound wall, a plastered floor and two inhumations. A burned pit was the only feature documented under the new street. Please see the DMB final (draft) report here http://core.tdar.org/document/374216.

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. DMB Utility Trench Monitoring

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): 98-02

Notes

General Note: The report for the DMB Utility Line Monitoring and Testing can be found here http://core.tdar.org/document/374216.

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).