A Preliminary Field Report for Archaeological Mitigation within the Sierra Vista Project Area, Maricopa County, Arizona
Creators: name: Stubing, Michael
Publisher: name: SWCA, Inc. Environmental Consultants
Year: 1999
Subjects: subject: Cave Creek, AZ
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/79838/cave-creek-az
subject: Arizona (State / Territory)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/335/arizona-state-territory
subject: Phoenix Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/27/phoenix-basin
subject: Maricopa (County)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/3900/maricopa-county
subject: Prehistoric
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/53/prehistoric
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: AZ U:1:244 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/103166/az-u1244-asm
subject: AZ U:1:318 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/103165/az-u1318-asm
subject: AZ T:4:243 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/103162/az-t4243-asm
subject: AZ U:1:316 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/103161/az-u1316-asm
subject: AZ U:1:315 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/103164/az-u1315-asm
subject: AZ U:1:317 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/103163/az-u1317-asm
subject: Domestic Structures
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/256/domestic-structures
subject: Artifact Scatter
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/340/artifact-scatter
subject: Petroglyph
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/363/petroglyph
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: Ground Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/7/ground-stone
subject: Metal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/11/metal
subject: Data Recovery / Excavation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/5/data-recovery-excavation
subject: Records Search / Inventory Checking
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/8/records-search-inventory-checking
subject: Site Evaluation / Testing
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/10/site-evaluation-testing

description: Archaeological mitigation was conducted within the proposed Sierra Vista development located three miles southwest of the Town of Cave Creek, Arizona. The proposed development will impact six sites, AZ U:l:315 (ASM), AZ U:1:316 (ASM), AZ U:1:317 (ASM), AZ U:1:318 (ASM), AZ T:4:243 (ASM), and AZ U:1:244 (ASM). The six sites are Hohokam rock features and artifact scatters. The sites were originally recorded as Loci 1-6 within AZ U:1:308 (ASM) (AZ U:1:2 ASU). During the current mitigation project these six loci were assigned individual Arizona State Museum (ASM) site numbers to be consistent with other archaeological investigations in this area. The project area includes 120 acres of privately-owned land. An archaeological survey of the project area identified a continuous artifact scatter throughout, and six distinctive loci (Stubing and Mitchell 1996). The loci included masonry field houses, rock concentrations, and high density artifact concentrations. The survey report recommended additional archaeological work for as many of the six loci within the project area as was feasible (Stubing and Mitchell 1996:12). A mitigation plan outlining a research design and specific methodologies for each locus was developed to guide archaeological investigations within the Sierra Vista project area (Mitchell and Stubing 1998). The mitigation was conducted by SWCA, Inc. between March 1-8, 1999. Surface indications suggested AZ U:1:316 (ASM), AZ T:4:243 (ASM), and AZ T:4:244 (ASM) held the highest potential for subsurface deposits, and mapping, recordation, surface collection of artifacts, and test excavations were undertaken at these sites. Mapping and recordation only were conducted at AZ U:1:315 (ASM), AZ U:1:317 (ASM), and AZ U:1:318 (ASM). No substantial subsurface deposits were found at AZ U:1:315 (ASM), AZ T:4:243 (ASM), or AZ T:4:244 (ASM). The feature and artifact types indicate the sites appear to have functioned as small habitation areas, possibly on a seasonal basis. The structures are similar, and likely featured wall bases made of stacked rock with upper walls and roofs of limbs, grasses, or other organic material. Recovered artifacts are consistent with those reported from sites in the region (Burton et al. 1979; Palus 1998; Stone n.d.; Stubing 1998), and include over 700 ceramics, 300+ pieces of flaked stone, and 19 pieces of ground stone.