Archaeological Investigations at AZ BB:13:756 (ASM) and AZ BB:13:757 (ASM), Historic Block 185, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona
Creators: name: Fernandez, Rachel
Publisher: name: Desert Archaeology, Inc.
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Tucson Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/2758/tucson-basin
subject: Pima (County)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/7353/pima-county
subject: American Territorial Period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/7709/american-territorial-period
subject: Presidio Era
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/7712/presidio-era
subject: Hohokam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/21/hohokam
subject: Historic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/25/historic
subject: Historic Block 185
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104754/historic-block-185
subject: AZ BB:13:757 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104756/az-bb13757-asm
subject: AZ BB:13:756 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104755/az-bb13756-asm
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: Concrete Foundation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1330/concrete-foundation
subject: Canal or Canal Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/275/canal-or-canal-feature
subject: Archaeological Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/339/archaeological-feature
subject: Ash Lens
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1401/ash-lens
subject: Midden
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/347/midden
subject: Borrow Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/893/borrow-pit
subject: Ditch
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1246/ditch
subject: Trash Midden
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/351/trash-midden
subject: Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/355/pit
subject: Roasting Pit / Oven / Horno
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/357/roasting-pit-oven-horno
subject: Post Hole / Post Mold
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/359/post-hole-post-mold
subject: Brick Lined Walkway
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/3592/brick-lined-walkway
subject: Trench
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/809/trench
subject: Retaining Wall
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1033/retaining-wall
subject: Shell
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/14/shell
subject: Wood
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/15/wood
subject: Textile
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/16/textile
subject: Charcoal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/20/charcoal
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: Fire Cracked Rock
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/5/fire-cracked-rock
subject: Glass
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/6/glass
subject: Ground Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/7/ground-stone
subject: Building Materials
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/8/building-materials
subject: Macrobotanical
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/10/macrobotanical
subject: Metal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/11/metal
subject: Ceramic Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/133439/ceramic-analysis
subject: Zooarchaeological Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/80804/zooarchaeological-analysis
subject: Ethnobotanical Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/5740/ethnobotanical-analysis
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: Archaeological data recovery on Historic Block 185 documented features from two subsurface archaeological sites, AZ BB:13:756 (ASM) and AZ BB:13:757 (ASM). BB:13:756 included soil mining pits, where material to manufacture adobe bricks for the Tucson Presidio was collected, and the foundations of twentieth century dwellings. BB:13:757 consisted of portions of two canals, one dating to the Prehistoric era and one filled with Territorial-era trash. These resources were determined to be significant during the testing phase of the project. The subsequent field work during the data recovery phase sought to document the features and recover a sample of the artifacts and food remains contained within them. The two sites were likely eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D, due to the significant information contained in the features uncovered, as well as the artifacts and food remains present in them. Significant aspects of the site included the presence of a small prehistoric irrigation canal running north-south through the project area. This is one of many irrigation canals constructed by the Hohokam residents of the Tucson Basin, bringing water from the Santa Cruz River to their agricultural fields. A second canal, filled with trash dating to the American Territorial period, was probably constructed much earlier. It is known that a canal ran along the base of the terrace during the Presidio era, with women from inside the fort washing clothes there under guard by Presidio soldiers. The Presidio soldiers had also mined portions of the project area for dirt to make adobe bricks for fort construction. These pits then filled with trash and excavation yielded a small but interesting set of artifacts dating to the Spanish and Mexican periods of Tucson's history. Of special mention is a religious medal and associated beads, a very rare find. Territorial-era trash was also recovered, including some items discarded by the Chinese residents who lived nearby.