Archaeological Investigations at AZ AA:12:16 (ASM), the EK Ranch Site, Pima County, Arizona
Creators: name: Gregory, David A.
name: Heidke, James M.
name: J. Homer Thiel
name: Waters, Jennifer A.
Publisher: name: Desert Archaeology, Inc.
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: Tucson Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/2758/tucson-basin
subject: Pima (County)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/7353/pima-county
subject: Tucson, Arizona
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/77020/tucson-arizona
subject: Historic Period
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/29/historic-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: Historic Native American
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/30/historic-native-american
subject: PaleoIndian
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/4/paleoindian
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 AA:12:16 (ASM)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/101087/az-aa1216-asm
subject: EK Ranch Site
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/104405/ek-ranch-site
subject: Borrow Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/893/borrow-pit
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: Fire Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/1156/fire-pit
subject: Prehistoric Pit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/3588/prehistoric-pit
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: Charcoal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/20/charcoal
subject: Fire Cracked Rock
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/5/fire-cracked-rock
subject: Ceramic Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/133439/ceramic-analysis
subject: Petrographic Analysis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/4090/petrographic-analysis
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: Site Evaluation / Testing
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/10/site-evaluation-testing

description: In November 1997, Desert Archaeology, Inc., conducted archaeological testing along a portion of AZ AA:12:16 (ASM). According to the Arizona State Museum site card, this Hohokam site was originally recorded by Mitalsky, in 1937. Mitalsky found Hohokam pottery, cremated human bone, and ground stone scattered along the embankments and in adjacent cotton fields. In the years since the site card was filled out, this area has been extensively developed, with little additional archaeological work. Desert Archaeology's 1997 testing program six trenches were excavated with a backhoe, resulting in the discovery of seven archaeological features. These features were documented by profile drawings and standard field forms. The features were identified as: a large borrow pit, an outhouse pit, a basin-shaped pit, a smaller borrow pit, a possible outhouse pit, a prehistoric firepit, and a small pit. All the features were located in Trench 1. The site was determined to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register under Criterion D, because it could provide significant information on the prehistoric and historic-period use of the area, and data recovery was planned. The research theme of the work was to study the history of human use of the evolving riverine environment in the middle Santa Cruz Valley. At AA:12:16, specific research domains that could be investigated were: (1) Variation in Settlement Form and Function; (2) Ceramic Container Technology; and (3) Historic Patterns of Floodplain Use (Gregory and Mabry 1998). The results of data recovery at AA:12:16 are presented in this report. A review of the cultural and historical background for the area precedes a description of the results of data recovery and the Native American ceramic analyses. Work at the site was relatively limited, due to the presence of so few features. However, the archaeological excavations provided useful data, especially relating to both prehistoric and historic-period Native American ceramics.