Archaeological Testing Within the Upper Tonto Basin the Rye Creek Project
Creators: name: Elson, Mark D.
name: Swartz, Deborah L.
Publisher: name: Institute for American Research
Year: 1989
Subjects: subject: Arizona (State / Territory)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/335/arizona-state-territory
subject: Central Arizona
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/76050/central-arizona
subject: Tonto Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/92/tonto-basin
subject: Historic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/5728/historic
subject: Preclassic Period Gila Butte Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/7738/preclassic-period-gila-butte-phase
subject: Classic Period Roosevelt Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/7739/classic-period-roosevelt-phase
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: Huhugam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/8166/huhugam
subject: Historic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/25/historic
subject: AZ O:15:52 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86734/az-o1552-asm
subject: AZ O:15:90 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86264/az-o1590-asm
subject: AZ O:15:70 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86520/az-o1570-asm
subject: AZ O:15:55 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86297/az-o1555-asm
subject: AZ O:15:53 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86751/az-o1553-asm
subject: AZ O:15:71 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86338/az-o1571-asm
subject: AZ O:15:96 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86564/az-o1596-asm
subject: AZ O:15:91 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86595/az-o1591-asm
subject: AZ O:15:100 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86503/az-o15100-asm
subject: AZ O:15:54 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86729/az-o1554-asm
subject: AZ O:15:92 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86348/az-o1592-asm
subject: AZ O:15:89 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86283/az-o1589-asm
subject: AZ O:15:99 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/86763/az-o1599-asm
subject: Trash Midden
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/351/trash-midden
subject: Masonry Structure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1119/masonry-structure
subject: Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/355/pit
subject: Artifact Scatter
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/340/artifact-scatter
subject: Roasting Pit / Oven / Horno
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/357/roasting-pit-oven-horno
subject: Pit House / Earth Lodge
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/263/pit-house-earth-lodge
subject: Cobble Cluster
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1863/cobble-cluster
subject: Petroglyph
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/363/petroglyph
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: Fire Cracked Rock
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/5/fire-cracked-rock
subject: Ground Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/7/ground-stone
subject: Artifact Analyses
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/6668/artifact-analyses
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

description: The archaeological testing of 19 sites within a 5.4 mile (8.7 km) stretch of State Route 87 in the Upper Tonto Basin of central Arizona provided a wealth of new and significant information on the prehistory of this little known area. The testing was undertaken to determine the cultural significance of the 19 sites prior to an Arizona Department of Transportation road widening and realignment construction project (ADOT Project Number F -053-1-315PE ). Investigated site types include small temporary use locales, field houses, farmsteads, an agricultural field system, and two small villages. Sites with both masonry architecture and subsurface pithouses are present within the project area. The pithouse sites appear to be slightly earlier than the pueblo sites; the pithouse sites date between A.D. 750-1100 while the pueblo sites date between A.D. 1000-1400. Most significantly, however, is the fact that there does not appear to be a hiatus in the settlement of the area. Occupation was continuous from at least A.D. 750 until abandonment sometime in the 15th century. A preliminary analysis of the settlement patterns suggests that the sites were hierarchically arranged. A working hypothesis is presented that proposes that an initial site hierarchy was present during the pithouse occupation of the area, but that it was not until the subsequent pueblo occupation that it reached its full expression. This is believed to be related to the growth of Rye Creek Ruin, a large village containing over 200 masonry rooms and a platform mound situated approximately 500 meters east of the project area.