The Rye Creek Project: Archaeology in the Upper Tonto Basin, Volume 1: Introduction and Site Descriptions
Creators: name: Elson, Mark
name: Craig, Douglas B.
Publisher: name: Center for Desert Archaeology
Year: 1992
Subjects: subject: Tonto National Forest
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/223/tonto-national-forest
subject: Deer Creek
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/6626/deer-creek
subject: Rye Creek
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83028/rye-creek
subject: Upper Tonto Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83027/upper-tonto-basin
subject: Boone Moore Wash
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83030/boone-moore-wash
subject: Clover Wash
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83029/clover-wash
subject: Black Mountain Wash
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83031/black-mountain-wash
subject: Payson, AZ
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/79465/payson-az
subject: Classic Period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/125/classic-period
subject: Hohokam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/5633/hohokam
subject: Snaketown Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/211/snaketown-phase
subject: Gila Butte Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/212/gila-butte-phase
subject: Preclassic Period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/5604/preclassic-period
subject: Hohokam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/21/hohokam
subject: AZ O:15:54
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83182/az-o1554
subject: The Cobble Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83181/the-cobble-site
subject: AZ O:15:55
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83184/az-o1555
subject: The Boone Moore Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83183/the-boone-moore-site
subject: AZ O:15:90
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83186/az-o1590
subject: The Compact Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83185/the-compact-site
subject: AZ O:15:99
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83188/az-o1599
subject: The Arby's Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83187/the-arbys-site
subject: AZ O:15:95
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83190/az-o1595
subject: AZ O:15:51
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83189/az-o1551
subject: AZ O:15:94
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83192/az-o1594
subject: AZ O:15:93
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83191/az-o1593
subject: AZ O:15:98
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83194/az-o1598
subject: AZ O:15:97
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83193/az-o1597
subject: AZ O:15:52
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83196/az-o1552
subject: AZ O:15:101
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83195/az-o15101
subject: AZ O:15:96
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83166/az-o1596
subject: AZ O:15:70
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83168/az-o1570
subject: AZ O:15:71
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83167/az-o1571
subject: The Overlook Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83170/the-overlook-site
subject: AZ O:15:89
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83169/az-o1589
subject: The Deer Creek SIte
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83172/the-deer-creek-site
subject: The Hilltop Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83174/the-hilltop-site
subject: AZ O:15:53
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83173/az-o1553
subject: The Clover Wash Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83176/the-clover-wash-site
subject: AZ O:15:100
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83175/az-o15100
subject: The Redstone Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83178/the-redstone-site
subject: AZ O:15:91
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83177/az-o1591
subject: AZ O:15:92
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83180/az-o1592
subject: The Rooted Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83179/the-rooted-site
subject: Hamlet / Village
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/254/hamlet-village
subject: Domestic Structures
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/256/domestic-structures
subject: Archaeological Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/339/archaeological-feature
subject: Artifact Scatter
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/340/artifact-scatter
subject: Room Block / Compound / Pueblo
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/264/room-block-compound-pueblo
subject: Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/251/domestic-structure-or-architectural-complex
subject: Settlements
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/252/settlements
subject: Ceramic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/1/ceramic
subject: Chipped Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/2/chipped-stone
subject: Dating Sample
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/3/dating-sample
subject: Fauna
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/4/fauna
subject: Ground Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/7/ground-stone
subject: Macrobotanical
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/10/macrobotanical
subject: Archaeological Overview
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/1/archaeological-overview
subject: Consultation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/4/consultation
subject: Data Recovery / Excavation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/5/data-recovery-excavation
subject: Site Evaluation / Testing
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/10/site-evaluation-testing

description: The Rye Creek Project involved testing and data recovery at 19 archaeological sites within the Upper Tonto Basin of central Arizona. The project area is situated along a 5.4 mile (8.7 km) stretch of State Route 87, approximately 10 miles south of the town of Payson, Arizona, within the boundaries of the Tonto National Forest. The project was undertaken for the Arizona Department of Transportation prior to the realignment and expansion of State Route 87. Thirteen sites were tested and then intensively investigated (Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9) while six were only tested (Chapter 10). Considerable functional and temporal diversity was present; the sites ranged from small, isolated, single-room masonry structures and larger multiroom pueblos dating to the early Classic period (AD. 1150-1300), to earlier Preclassic period (AD. 750-1150) sites with subsurface pithouse architecture. Of the intensively investigated sites, seven dated primarily to the Classic period and six dated to the Preclassic period, although a number of these contained both Classic and Preclassic components (Chapter 25). The Preclassic period sites were for the most part more substantial; a methodological analysis of the archaeological signatures of sedentism suggests that the majority of the Preclassic period sites were sedentary in nature (Chapter 26). This contrasts with many of the Classic period sites which appear to have been seasonally occupied field houses, although a larger, more permanently occupied (but severely disturbed) pueblo roomblock was also present. Given the traditional emphasis on Classic period sites in Tonto Basin archaeology (Chapter 3), this project represents one of the most complete investigations of the less well known Preclassic period. The Deer Creek site (AZ O:15:52) contained 17 pithouses and dated primarily to the Gila Butte phase (AD. 750-850) with a possibly earlier Snaketown phase (AD. 650-750) component (Chapter 7). This is now one of the earliest excavated ceramic period sites within the Tonto Basin. Limited testing on a volunteer basis was also undertaken at Rye Creek Ruin (AZ O:15:1) which, while probably originating during the early Classic period (AD. 1150-1300), dates primarily to the late Classic period Gila phase (AD. 1300-1450) (Chapter 27). Rye Creek Ruin is one of the largest permanently occupied sites in the Tonto Basin, containing around 150 masonry rooms and two platform mounds. The site was undoubtedly the focus of the Classic period settlement of the Upper Tonto Basin. This is Volume 1 of a 3 volume series on the Rye Creek Project. This volume includes an introduction to the project and site descriptions.