Their Own Road: Archaeological Investigations along State Route 260 Payson to Heber - Christopher Creek Section and Sharp Creek Campground
Creators: name: CaraMia R. Whitney
Publisher: name: Desert Archaeology, Inc.
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Arizona (State / Territory)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/335/arizona-state-territory
subject: Payson
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83057/payson
subject: Heber
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/9860/heber
subject: Christopher Creek
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/84424/christopher-creek
subject: AZ 260
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/84423/az-260
subject: Sharp Creek
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/84425/sharp-creek
subject: Mogollon
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/34/mogollon
subject: Hohokam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/21/hohokam
subject: Middle Archaic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/10/middle-archaic
subject: Late Archaic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/11/late-archaic
subject: AR-03-12-04-749 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104750/ar-03-12-04-749-asmtnf
subject: AZ P:9:18
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104749/az-p918
subject: AR-03-12-04-368 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104752/ar-03-12-04-368-asmtnf
subject: AZ P:9:6
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104751/az-p96
subject: AZ O:12:73
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104710/az-o1273
subject: Tangleroot
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104709/tangleroot
subject: Little Bird
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104712/little-bird
subject: AR-03-12-04-1475 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104711/ar-03-12-04-1475-asmtnf
subject: AR-03-12-04-445 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104714/ar-03-12-04-445-asmtnf
subject: AZ P:9:15
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104713/az-p915
subject: AR-03-12-04-457 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104716/ar-03-12-04-457-asmtnf
subject: AZ P:9:37
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104715/az-p937
subject: AZ P:9:39
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104718/az-p939
subject: Chiseler Hill
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104717/chiseler-hill
subject: The Prayer Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104720/the-prayer-site
subject: AR-03-12-04-379 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104719/ar-03-12-04-379-asmtnf
subject: AR-03-12-04-1394
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104722/ar-03-12-04-1394
subject: AZ P:9:26
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104721/az-p926
subject: AZ P:9:17
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104724/az-p917
subject: Shash Bigowa
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104723/shash-bigowa
subject: AZ P:9:29
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104726/az-p929
subject: AR-03-12-04-1014 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104725/ar-03-12-04-1014-asmtnf
subject: Hunter Creek Road
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104728/hunter-creek-road
subject: AR-03-12-04-1428 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104727/ar-03-12-04-1428-asmtnf
subject: AR-03-12-04-1242 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104730/ar-03-12-04-1242-asmtnf
subject: AZ O:12:40
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104729/az-o1240
subject: AR-03-12-04-1430 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104732/ar-03-12-04-1430-asmtnf
subject: AZ O:12:72
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104731/az-o1272
subject: AZ P:9:28
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104734/az-p928
subject: Grub Steak
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104733/grub-steak
subject: Karaoke Falls
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104736/karaoke-falls
subject: AR-03-12-04-823 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104735/ar-03-12-04-823-asmtnf
subject: AR-03-12-04-1431
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104738/ar-03-12-04-1431
subject: AZ P:9:41
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104737/az-p941
subject: AR-03-12-04-748 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104740/ar-03-12-04-748-asmtnf
subject: AZ P:16
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104739/az-p16
subject: AR-03-12-04-1432 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104742/ar-03-12-04-1432-asmtnf
subject: AZ P:9:38
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104741/az-p938
subject: AZ P:9:42
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104744/az-p942
subject: Wild Onion Ridge
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104743/wild-onion-ridge
subject: ADOT Yard Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104746/adot-yard-site
subject: AR-03-12-04-1435 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104745/ar-03-12-04-1435-asmtnf
subject: AR-03-12-04-1548 (ASM/TNF)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104748/ar-03-12-04-1548-asmtnf
subject: AZ P:9:43
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104747/az-p943
subject: Burial Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/307/burial-pit
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: Encampment
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/253/encampment
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: Mound / Earthwork
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/323/mound-earthwork
subject: Building Substructure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/324/building-substructure
subject: Wattle &amp; Daub (Jacal) Structure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/261/wattle-daub-jacal-structure
subject: Pit House / Earth Lodge
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/263/pit-house-earth-lodge
subject: Room Block / Compound / Pueblo
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/264/room-block-compound-pueblo
subject: Rock Shelter
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/265/rock-shelter
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: 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: Terrace
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/278/terrace
subject: Water Control Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/279/water-control-feature
subject: Hearth
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/343/hearth
subject: Midden
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/347/midden
subject: Butchering / Kill Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/287/butchering-kill-site
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: Bridge
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/295/bridge
subject: Post Hole / Post Mold
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/359/post-hole-post-mold
subject: Rock Alignment
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/360/rock-alignment
subject: Road
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/299/road
subject: Petroglyph
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/363/petroglyph
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: Wood
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/15/wood
subject: Basketry
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/17/basketry
subject: Lithic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/698/lithic
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: 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: Human Remains
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/9/human-remains
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: Mineral
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/12/mineral
subject: Macrobotanical Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/20303/macrobotanical-analysis
subject: Pollen Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/3351/pollen-analysis
subject: Archaeological Overview
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/1/archaeological-overview
subject: Historic Background Research
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/18/historic-background-research
subject: Data Recovery / Excavation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/5/data-recovery-excavation
subject: Heritage Management
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/24/heritage-management

description: In this volume, the easternmost portion of the State Route (SR) 260 —Payson to Heber Archaeological project is described. Driving east from where the SR 260 project begins near Payson, Arizona, the environment changes from rolling hills and meadows to narrow ridges and perennial streams. There are few open areas as the road winds between the Mogollon Rim to the north and Christopher Mountain to the south. Prehistoric and historic sites are situated on the hills and terraces above the permanent waterways, including Christopher Creek, Sharp Creek, and Hunter Creek. These streams provide natural corridors through a rugged environment. A mile east of the Christopher Creek segment, the road begins a steep, 2-mile climb up the Mogollon Rim to crest in the aspen forests of the Chevelon drainage. The planned realignment of SR 260 between Payson and Heber by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has resulted in a multiphase archaeological investigation of the construction right-of-way. Although the overall construction project is 46 miles long, surveys only identified archaeological sites in the western 22 miles of the project, in the area below the Mogollon Rim on the Tonto National Forest (TNF). Construction work is planned in six phases, from west to east, Lion Springs, Preacher Canyon, Little Green Valley, Kohls Ranch, Doubtful Canyon, and Christopher Creek. The most dangerous sections of the highway are scheduled for realignment first; therefore, the archaeological work does not follow an orderly west-to-east progression. The first portion of the highway to be constructed was the Preacher Canyon section, located between mileposts 260 and 263 near the western end of the project area (Herr, ed. 2012). This report describes the results of investigations in the Christopher Creek section and Sharp Creek Campground. The Christopher Creek section is the second portion of the highway to be investigated and one of the longest sections in the SR 260 project area, located between mileposts 272 and 278. Because highway construction will remove U.S. Forest Service camping spaces elsewhere in the SR 260 project area, Sharp Creek Campground was constructed as part of the ADOT project. The Sharp Creek Campground is adjacent to the Christopher Creek section, and although fieldwork was conducted in separate phases, the sites are discussed together. The testing phase at the Sharp Creek Campground was conducted in November and December 1999, and data recovery was conducted between April and June 2000. The testing phase investigations of the Christopher Creek section were conducted in May and June 2000, and data recovery was conducted in October and November 2000. In all, 17 sites, dating between 1360 B.C. and the late Historic era, were investigated. Approximately 507 person-days were expended on fieldwork.