Archaeological Testing and Data Recovery at the Florence Prison, Pinal County, Arizona: The SMU (Special Management Unit) Project
Creators: name: Ahlstrom, Richard V. N.
Publisher: name: SWCA, Inc. Environmental Consultants
Year: 1994
Subjects: subject: Arizona Upland Subdivision
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83821/arizona-upland-subdivision
subject: Arizona (State / Territory)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/335/arizona-state-territory
subject: Sonoran Desert
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/2772/sonoran-desert
subject: Pinal (County)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/3961/pinal-county
subject: Phoenix Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/27/phoenix-basin
subject: Classic Period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/125/classic-period
subject: Pioneer Period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/111/pioneer-period
subject: Sedentary Period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/5504/sedentary-period
subject: Colonial Period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/5377/colonial-period
subject: Sacaton Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/214/sacaton-phase
subject: Soho Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/5772/soho-phase
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:15:235 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/101306/az-u15235-asm
subject: AZ U:15:234 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/101305/az-u15234-asm
subject: AZ U:15:236 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/101307/az-u15236-asm
subject: Archaeological Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/339/archaeological-feature
subject: Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/355/pit
subject: Rock Cluster
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1012/rock-cluster
subject: Roasting Pit / Oven / Horno
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/357/roasting-pit-oven-horno
subject: Pollen
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/13/pollen
subject: Cobble
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/1165/cobble
subject: Plainware
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/174/plainware
subject: Buffware
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/465/buffware
subject: Basalt
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/214/basalt
subject: Rhyolite
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/248/rhyolite
subject: Quartzite
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/217/quartzite
subject: Quartz
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/314/quartz
subject: Redware
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/444/redware
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: Fire Cracked Rock
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/5/fire-cracked-rock
subject: Red-on-Buff
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/2629/red-on-buff
subject: Ground Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/7/ground-stone
subject: Core
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/2121/core
subject: Macrobotanical
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/10/macrobotanical
subject: Andesite
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/524/andesite
subject: Diorite
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/588/diorite
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: Records Search / Inventory Checking
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/8/records-search-inventory-checking
subject: Research Design / Data Recovery Plan
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/9/research-design-data-recovery-plan
subject: Site Evaluation / Testing
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/10/site-evaluation-testing

description: Between February 10 and 16, 1994, archaeologists from SWCA, Inc., Environmental Consultants conducted testing and data recovery at three archaeological sites, AZ U:15:234 (ASM), AZ U:15:235 (ASM), and AZ U:15:236 (ASM), located near Florence on Arizona State Trust land. The work was carried out under Project-Specific Permit No. 94-14, granted by the Arizona State Museum (ASM), and in accord with a mitigation plan prepared by SWCA (1993) and approved by the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The project was carried out in preparation for construction of a new facility at the Florence Prison, the Arizona State Prison Complex (ASPC)-Special Management Unit (SMU) and was initiated at the request of Mr. Lynn Arrington of The Benham Group, Phoenix. Field procedures included mapping, surface collection, and backhoe trenching. Of the three sites, AZ U:15:236 (ASM) yielded the most interesting and valuable archaeological data. Specifically, a buried roasting pit was uncovered that produced samples suitable for radiocarbon dating and botanical (pollen and flotation) analysis. The feature probably dated to the late Pioneer or Colonial period. A second feature at the site proved to have been badly disturbed, probably by burrowing animals. This feature, which may have been a roasting facility, probably dated to the Sedentary period, Sacaton phase. Few artifacts were recovered at the site. Site AZ U:15:234 (ASM) produced an assemblage of surface artifacts, consisting primarily of flaked stone debitage and plainware ceramics. No subsurface cultural deposits or materials were encountered, and the site proved to be considerably smaller than originally recorded. The site dated to the Classic period, Soho phase. Investigation of the third site, AZ U:15:235 (ASM), produced minimal data. Excavation demonstrated that a cluster of rocks recorded on survey and interpreted as a probable roasting pit was restricted entirely to the ground surface. Only a few artifacts were recovered, all from the ground surface. The mitigation plan identified two possible stages of fieldwork. During Stage 1, backhoe trenching would determine the number and distribution of subsurface features or deposits and would sample the surface features. If only a limited number of features were discovered, including no structures, it would be possible to complete data recovery at this stage, and no further work would be necessary. If Stage 2 research were to prove necessary, it would involve the excavation of a representative sample of cultural features and deposits. In SWCA’s opinion, the data potential of the three sites was adequately sampled during Stage 1 fieldwork, and therefore, no additional (Stage 2) fieldwork was required at the sites. On this basis, SWCA has recommended that archaeological clearance be granted for construction of the ASPC-Special Management Unit.