The Anthropogenic Landscape of Las Capas, an Early Agricultural Irrigation Community in Southern Arizona
Creators: name: Fernandez, Rachel
Publisher: name: Archaeology Southwest
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Tucson Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/2758/tucson-basin
subject: Marana, Arizona
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/84357/marana-arizona
subject: Pima (County)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/7353/pima-county
subject: Early Agricultural period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/158/early-agricultural-period
subject: San Pedro phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/195/san-pedro-phase
subject: Cienega phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/6390/cienega-phase
subject: Hohokam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/21/hohokam
subject: Huhugam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/8166/huhugam
subject: Archaic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/8/archaic
subject: Historic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/25/historic
subject: Late Archaic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/11/late-archaic
subject: AZ AA:12:111 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/83262/az-aa12111-asm
subject: AZ AA:12:753 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/89666/az-aa12753-asm
subject: Las Capas
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/632/las-capas
subject: Hamlet / Village
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/254/hamlet-village
subject: Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/272/resource-extraction-production-transportation-structure-or-features
subject: Agricultural or Herding
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/273/agricultural-or-herding
subject: Agricultural Field or Field Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/274/agricultural-field-or-field-feature
subject: Pit House / Earth Lodge
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/263/pit-house-earth-lodge
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: Pollen
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/13/pollen
subject: Shell
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/14/shell
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: 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: Mineral
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/12/mineral
subject: Phytolith Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/872/phytolith-analysis
subject: Isotopic Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/133270/isotopic-analysis
subject: Soil Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/138422/soil-analysis
subject: Environment Research
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/13/environment-research
subject: Data Recovery / Excavation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/5/data-recovery-excavation
subject: Reconnaissance / Survey
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/7/reconnaissance-survey
subject: Heritage Management
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/24/heritage-management
subject: Research Design / Data Recovery Plan
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/9/research-design-data-recovery-plan
subject: Site Evaluation / Testing
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/10/site-evaluation-testing

description: Las Capas, AZ AA:12:111 (ASM), so named for its deeply stratified deposits, dates primarily to the San Pedro phase of the Early Agricultural period, circa 1200-800 B.C. Later, more sporadic occupation of the site extends from the Cienega phase (800 B.C.-A.D. 50) through the Hohokam sequence and the Protohistoric period. Occupation prior to approximately 2100 B.C. is suggested by several radiocarbon dates on maize found redeposited in younger contexts. Recent excavations at the site and its associated canals, designated AZ AA:12:753 (ASM), revealed the structure of this Early Agricultural period settlement in unprecedented detail. Data recovery identified more than 5,500 prehistoric features, 3,455 of which were excavated or tested. Investigated feature types included 53 pithouses, 8 possible pithouses, 22 extramural surfaces, 610 bell-shaped pits, 49 large pits, 2,099 small pits, 490 roasting pits, 40 pits of unknown or other function, 20 inhumations, 2 cremations, and 11 animal burials. These excavations resulted in the recovery of more than 113,000 artifacts and 7,300 samples of various kinds. This volume provides the environmental and cultural context of the Las Capas project area, situated on the Santa Cruz River floodplain in the northern Tucson Basin of southern Arizona. Contrary to the common idea of "desert," the Sonoran Desert supports a surprising lush and diverse variety of plant and animal life in an area receiving an average of less than 30 cm of precipitation per year. The environment of the greater Santa Cruz River Valley is discussed in detail, as it constitutes the fundamental structure within which early farmers established their communities, creating mosaics of "built environments," — anthropogenic landscapes—for agriculture and settlement.