Sunset Crater Archaeology: The History of a Volcanic Landscape, Introduction and Site Descriptions, Part 2
Creators: name: Brin, Adam
Publisher: name: Center for Desert Archaeology
Year: 2006
Subjects: Wupatki National Monument
Coconino National Forest
Sunset Crater
Flagstaff, AZ
U.S. 89
Arizona (State / Territory)
11th Century
12th Century
Cohonina
Sinagua Culture
NA 21,131
NA 21,090
NA 18,630
NA 25,780
NA 21,092
NA 18,625
NA 21,091
Clay House
NA 21,087
NA 21,089
Dean
NA 860
NA 20,700
NA 21,104
NA 18,417
Borrow Site
NA 21,103
The Elk Site
Snag Site
AR-03-04-02-2591 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-2708 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-2109 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-1716 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-3787 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-2758 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-3792 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-1539 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-2229 (CNF)
NA 25,996
AR-03-04-02-4117 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-1693 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-4106 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-2755 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-3796 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-1798 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-1534 (CNF)
AR-03-02-04-2753 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-2756 (CNF)
The Little Elk Site
AR-03-04-02-1692 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-3352 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-3795 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-1594 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-3794 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-1541 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-1640 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-2036 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-2757 (CNF)
AR-03-04-02-3791 (CNF)
Lenox Annex
Full House
NA 18,680
NA 25,753
NA 25,754
NA 25,752
NA 25,751
Ant Hill
Lenox Park
Divide
Basalt Ridge
Slope
NA 25,779
NA 19,007
NA 25,776
NA 25,774
NA 25,773
NA 18,621
NA 25,771
NA 25,772
Corn Rock
Funerary and Burial Structures or Features
Inhumation burial
Burial Pit
Archaeological Feature
Artifact Scatter
Checkdams
Hearth
Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex
Borrow Pit
Domestic Structures
Rock-Filled Pit
Pit
Fieldhouse
Pit House / Earth Lodge
Post Hole / Post Mold
Trash Concentration
Rock Alignment
Rock Concentration
Ceramic
Chipped Stone
Fauna
Ground Stone
Tree Ring Dating
Archaeomagnetic Dates
Archaeological Overview
Data Recovery / Excavation
Site Evaluation / Testing

description: The U.S. 89 Archaeological Project investigated 41 prehistoric sites located approximately 30 km north of Flagstaff, Arizona. All sites were on Coconino National Forest (CNF) land. The project was conducted by Desert Archaeology, Inc., for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) prior to the widening and improvement of 26.7 km (16.6 miles) of U.S. 89, between the southern boundary of Wupatki National Monument in the north, and the town of Fernwood in the south. Archaeological fieldwork occurred over two primary field seasons in 1997 and 1998, with a very brief field season in 1999. A total of almost 12 person-years of labor was expended on the fieldwork. The U.S. 89 project area crosses diverse environmental zones, ranging from juniper-sage grasslands in the north at approximately 5,700 ft (1,737 m) asl, to ponderosa pine forests at over 7,200 ft (2,195 m) asl in the south. Mixed pinyon pine and juniper woodlands comprise the middle elevations. Five elevation zones were defined, using increments of 500 ft as a proxy for changes in precipitation, temperature, and vegetation. All project area sites are also within 25 km of Sunset Crater Volcano, with the closest sites only 5-6 km away. Sunset Crater erupted for a few years sometime between A.D. 1050 and 1125. Basalt lava from the eruption covered an area of approximately 8 km2, while another 2,300 km2 was covered by cinder and ash deposits. Sunset Crater cinders were found on all project area sites. An isopach map of cinder depth constructed for this project indicates that, minimally, the U.S. 89 sites were covered with from 5-50 cm of volcanic material, which had a significant impact on prehistoric settlement, subsistence, and economic systems. Prehistoric adaptation to environmental variability and to the Sunset Crater eruption were primary research themes. The results of the U.S. 89 investigations are presented in a series of anthropological papers: Anthropological Papers No. 30, Part I and Part 2, contain background information on the project and descriptions of the 41 investigated sites. Part 2 includes chapters 5-7 and Appendices A-B. Part 2 includes the nine sites in Elevation Zone 3 (6,700-7,199 ft [2,042-2,194 m] asl, north), the nine sites in Elevation Zone 4 (7,200+ ft [2,195+ m] asl), and the 10 sites in Elevation Zone 5 (6,700-7,199 ft [2,042-2,194 m] asl, south).