Sunset Crater Archaeology: The History of a Volcanic Landscape, Stone, Shell, Bone, and Mortuary Analyses
Creators: name: Brin, Adam
Publisher: name: Center for Desert Archaeology
Year: 2006
Subjects: Wupatki National Monument
Fernwood, AZ
Coconino (County)
Coconino National Forest
Sunset Crater
Flagstaff, AZ
U.S. 89
Arizona (State / Territory)
12th Century
Prehistoric
11th Century A.D.
Cohonina
Sinagua
Borrow
AZ I:10:13 (ASM)
Lenox Annex
AZ I:10:93 (ASM)
Full House
Bachelor House
AZ I:10:63 (ASM)
Road House
AZ I:10:16 (ASM)
AZ I:10:96 (ASM)
AZ I:10:86 (ASM)
NA 25,756
AZ I:10:99 (ASM)
NA 25,755
NA 18,680
NA 25,753
NA 25,754
AZ I:10:122 (ASM)
NA 25,752
AZ I:10:114 (ASM)
NA 25,751
AZ I:6:6 (ASM)
Seven
AZ I:10:60 (ASM)
AZ I:10:18 (ASM)
NA 420
AZ I:10:20 (ASM)
NA 25,769
NA 181
NA 25,767
AZ I:10:91 (ASM)
NA 25,764
NA 25,766
Slope
NA 25,762
AZ I:10:105 (ASM)
AZ I:10:61 (ASM)
Plainview
Little Elk
NA 25,779
AZ I:10:97 (ASM)
NA 19,007
AZ I:10:69 (ASM)
NA 25,776
NA 25,777
NA 25,775
AZ I:10:104 (ASM)
NA 25,774
AZ I:10:62 (ASM)
NA 25,773
NA 18,621
NA 25,771
NA 25,772
Corn Rock
NA 25,770
AZ I:6:5 (ASM)
AZ I:10:17 (ASM)
AZ I:10:10 (ASM)
AZ I:10:22 (ASM)
AZ I:10:121 (ASM)
AZ I:10:90 (ASM)
NA 21,131
NA 21,090
NA 18,630
NA 25,780
AZ I:10:113 (ASM)
NA 21,092
NA 18,625
NA 21,091
AZ I:10:110 (ASM)
AZ I:10:120 (ASM)
AZ I:10:109 (ASM)
Clay House
NA 21,087
AZ I:10:92 (ASM)
NA 21,089
Dean
NA 860
AZ I:10:12 (ASM)
AZ I:10:15 (ASM)
NA 25,949
AZ I:10:108 (ASM)
NA 20,700
AZ I:10:38 (ASM)
AZ I:10:19 (ASM)
AZ I:10:94 (ASM)
AZ I:10:71 (ASM)
AZ I:10:112 (ASM)
AZ I:10:14 (ASM)
NA 21,104
AZ I:10:107 (ASM)
NA 18,417
NA 21,103
AZ I:10:101 (ASM)
NA 25,996
AR-03-04-02-1594
AR-03-04-02-4106
AR-03-04-02-4105
AR-03-04-02-3789
AR-03-04-02-3788
AR-03-04-02-1640
AR-03-04-02-3665
AR-03-04-02-4117
AR-03-04-02-3666
AR-03-04-02-1693
AR-03-04-02-3664
AR-03-04-02-3352
North End
AR-03-04-02-1692
AR-03-04-02-2708
AR-03-04-02-3873
AR-03-04-02-1798
AR-03-04-02-2036
AR-03-04-02-2258
AR-03-04-02-1716
AR-03-04-02-3673
AR-03-04-02-2256
AR-03-04-02-3791
AR-03-04-02-3794
AR-03-04-02-1534
AR-03-04-02-3792
Snag
AR-03-04-02-3678
Ant Hill
AR-03-04-02-2229
Lenox Park
AR-03-04-02-3797
Divide
AR-03-04-02-3679
Basalt Ridge
AR-03-04-02-3675
Elk
AR-03-04-02-3795
AR-03-04-02-2109
AR-03-04-02-3796
Homestead
AR-03-04-02-2591
Deadman's Edge
AR-03-04-02-1539
AR-03-04-02-2757
AR-03-04-02-2756
AR-03-04-02-1541
AR-03-04-02-2755
AR-03-04-02-2758
Deadman Flat
AR-03-04-02-2753
Funerary and Burial Structures or Features
Domestic Structures
Burial Pit
Archaeological Feature
Pit
Fieldhouse
Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex
Shell
Projectile points
Chipped Stone
Fauna
Ground Stone
Human Remains
Shell Analysis
Bone Analysis
Artifact Analysis
Dental Pathology
Mortuary Analysis
Bioarchaeological Research
Archaeological Overview
Collections Research
Data Recovery / Excavation
Site Evaluation / Testing

description: The U.S. 89 Archaeological Project investigated 41 prehistoric sites located approximately 30 km north of Flagstaff, Arizona. All sites were on Coconino National Forest (CNF) land, specifically the Peaks Ranger District. The project was conducted hy Desert Archaeology, Inc., personnel for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) prior to widening and improvement of 26.7 km (16.6 miles) of U.S. 89, between the southern boundary of Wupatki National Monument in the north, and the town of Fernwood in the south. Archaeological fieldwork occurred over two primary field seasons in 1997 and 1998, with a very brief field season in 1999. A total of almost 12 person-years of labor was expended on the fieldwork. The U.S. 89 project area crosses diverse environmental zones, ranging from juniper-sage grasslands in the north at approximately 5,700 ft (1,737 m) asl, to ponderosa pine forests at over 7,200 ft (2,195 m) asl in the south. Mixed pinyon pine and juniper woodlands comprise the middle elevations. Five elevation zones were defined, using increments of 500 ft as a proxy for changes in precipitation, temperature, and vegetation. Additionally, all project area sites are within 25 km of Sunset Crater, with the closest sites only 5-6 km west of the volcano. Sunset Crater erupted for a very short period (months to a few years) sometime between A.D. 1050 and 1125. Basalt lava from the eruption covered an area of approximately 8 km2, while another 2,300 km2 was covered by cinder and ash deposits. Sunset Crater cinders were found on all project area sites. An isopach map of cinder depth constructed for this project indicates that, minimally, the U.S. 89 sites were covered with from 5-50 cm of volcanic material, which had a significant impact on prehistoric settlement, subsistence, and economic systems. Prehistoric adaptation to environmental variability, as well as to the Sunset Crater eruption, were primary research themes. This volume presents the analyses of the non-ceramic artifacts from the 41 investigated sites. These artifacts comprise approximately 16.5 percent of the 98,329 total recovered artifacts: 15,610 pieces of flaked stone, 1,163 pieces of ground stone, 96 bone tools, 70 pieces of shell, and 237 miscellaneous artifacts, which include stone beads, jewelry, and pieces of pigment. Additionally, 3,493 pieces of unworked animal bone were also recovered.