The Tres Alamos Site on the San Pedro River, Southeastern Arizona
Creators: name: Tuthill, Carr
Publisher: name: The Amerind Foundation, Inc.
Year: 1947
Subjects: subject: Arizona (State / Territory)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/335/arizona-state-territory
subject: San Pedro Valley
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/78866/san-pedro-valley
subject: Cochise (County)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/7354/cochise-county
subject: Interstitial Zone D
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83753/interstitial-zone-d
subject: Tucson Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/6131/tucson-phase
subject: Tanque Verde Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/6021/tanque-verde-phase
subject: Tres Alamos Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/7846/tres-alamos-phase
subject: Cascabel Phase
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/7847/cascabel-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: Tres Alamos
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/5272/tres-alamos
subject: Funerary and Burial Structures or Features
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/301/funerary-and-burial-structures-or-features
subject: Cremation Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/3663/cremation-pit
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: Agricultural or Herding
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/273/agricultural-or-herding
subject: Stockade
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/626/stockade
subject: Canal or Canal Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/275/canal-or-canal-feature
subject: Burial Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/307/burial-pit
subject: Non-Domestic Structures
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/309/non-domestic-structures
subject: Ball Court
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/310/ball-court
subject: Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/251/domestic-structure-or-architectural-complex
subject: Domestic Structures
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/256/domestic-structures
subject: Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/355/pit
subject: Refuse Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/356/refuse-pit
subject: Fire Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1156/fire-pit
subject: Roasting Pit / Oven / Horno
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/357/roasting-pit-oven-horno
subject: Storage Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/358/storage-pit
subject: Granary
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/870/granary
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 Alignment
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/360/rock-alignment
subject: Puddling Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1833/puddling-pit
subject: Shell
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/14/shell
subject: Textile
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/16/textile
subject: Stone Tools
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/82/stone-tools
subject: Clay Figurine
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/2099/clay-figurine
subject: Bone Awl
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/2650/bone-awl
subject: Stone Paddle
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/3003/stone-paddle
subject: Carved Bone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/3004/carved-bone
subject: Carved Shell
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/3005/carved-shell
subject: Horn Tools
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/3006/horn-tools
subject: Stone Figurine
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/3007/stone-figurine
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: Human Remains
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/9/human-remains
subject: Cremated Remains
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/2921/cremated-remains
subject: Mineral
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/12/mineral
subject: Ceramic Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/133439/ceramic-analysis
subject: Stratigraphy Tests
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/161982/stratigraphy-tests
subject: Data Recovery / Excavation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/5/data-recovery-excavation
subject: Systematic Survey
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/12/systematic-survey

description: The ruins lie on the east bank of the San Pedro River some twelve miles by road north of the town of Benson. At this point the river has started to cut into an erosion terrace or bench on which the ruins are located. This bench rises about one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet above the bed of the river, and is eroded by relatively short but deep and steep-banked gullies or arroyos into several tongues of land fanning out toward the river. Evidences of prehistoric occupation are found on the terrace and its tongues of land. The land on the west bank of the river lies considerably lower than that on the east bank, and is formed by the low-lying flood plain or river bottom land about twenty to thirty feet above the bed of the river, which has cut a deep and vertical-banked channel within the last fifty or sixty years. Historical records show that in the 1870’s and ’80’s the San Pedro River was a perennial live stream that had not yet cut its present deep channel. The low-lying land making up the flood plain is very fertile as evidenced by modern farming carried on there, and was undoubtedly used in prehistoric times for agricultural purposes. Sherds were found on the flood plain immediately across from Tres Alamos but there were no evidences of dwellings. This is not too surprising in view of the fact that this land floods badly during the heavy summer rains. No traces of prehistoric irrigation ditches were found, although a canal dug in the late 1800’s, that might have followed an earlier one, was discovered. It is known that this was sometimes the case in the Salt River Valley of Arizona. Lack of evidence of prehistoric canals does not necessarily imply that they were nonexistent. The principles of crop irrigation by canals was well known in the southwest at the time that Tres Alamos was inhabited, and the basis of the economy at that time was agriculture. Erosion has been quite severe in the San Pedro Valley and all traces of prehistoric water systems may have long since disappeared.