Preservation Archaeology Building a Preservation Archaeology Network across the GreaterN SouthwestEW SummerS 2009

systems to support agricultural produc- community included the sites of Escalante Viewpoint tion, which included maize and cotton. Ruin and Poston Butte Ruin. Interest- At least two dozen systems that watered ingly, the Escalante irrigation community tens of thousands of acres have been was an important cotton-producing area Toward a Grander documented in the Phoenix Basin alone, for the —and it remains so along the lower Salt River and the middle today, as one can see on a drive through Casa Grande the modern communi- Park National ties of Coolidge and Field Representative Andy Laurenzi Florence. is the Center’s point person on a local By the time that preservation effort that seeks to expand the “Great House” the boundaries of Casa Grande Ruins was built, around National Monument. A.D. 1300, Hohokam political and social Casa Grande Ruins National Monu- organization had been ment (CGRNM) in Coolidge, Arizona, undergoing complex is among the state’s best-known cul- changes for several tural landmarks because of its striking, generations. The struc- four-story “Great House,” one of the ture itself represents largest known prehistoric structures one of the architectural in the United States. CGRNM is not expressions of these only the largest protected Hohokam changes, together with site, but also the sole National Park a shift from pithouse unit that preserves and interprets to ground-level adobe Hohokam culture. The area enclosed compounds, from ball- within the park’s current bound- courts that brought ary—about three-quarters of a square together large groups mile—also preserves some of the once- The Great House at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. of people to platform extensive village associated with the mounds that raised impressive adobe structure. Gila River. Villages containing 200 to 400 some above others, and from clusters of Working in conjunction with the City people—and some very large settlements dwellings encircling informal courtyards of Coolidge, Town of Florence, Friends of that, at their peak, may have been home to walled villages around public plazas. By Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, to more than 1,000 people—were spaced A.D. 1450, things had changed so drasti- Pinal County Historical Society, National every two to three miles along the Phoe- Trust for Historic Preservation, and oth- nix Basin canal systems. [See Douglas B. continued on page 4 ers, the Center for Desert Archaeology Craig, “The Hohokam Archaeology of the supports a National Park Service (NPS) Phoenix Basin,” Archaeology Southwest proposal to expand the boundaries of this 21(4):1–2.] unique monument—and recommends an These strings of neighboring villages Our Vision even more expansive vision that would formed what archaeologists call irrigation At the Center for Desert Archae- preserve a significant portion of this van- communities. The settlement at CGRNM ology, we envision a society in which the ishing cultural landscape. was one of five large villages along a 22- places of the past are valued as the foundations for a vibrant future. As such, it is mile-long canal (the Casa Grande Canal) A Hohokam Landscape our mission to preserve the places of our that ran south of the Gila River. One of shared past. We undertake this mission on Between A.D. 300 and 1450, people these large villages is the Adamsville behalf of those who find meaning in such known to archaeologists as the Hohokam Ruin, about five miles upstream from places—and we deeply appreciate your lived and farmed in the river valleys of CGRNM. A shorter, 7-mile-long canal, the partnership in this endeavor! southern Arizona. Over time, they built Escalante Canal, ran along the north side and maintained massive irrigation canal of the Gila River valley. This irrigation

Preservation Archaeology News • Summer 2009 page 1 As a board member, what are some new direc- Become Acquainted tions or programs you’d like the Center to explore? Donna Tang As I said, the changes I’ve seen have been positive ones, and I’d like to see them continue. I’d like to Please join the Center in welcoming the newest see the Center become much more visible and dis- member of our Board of Directors, Dr. Donna tinct as a force for cultural preservation in this part Tang. Kate interviewed Donna in mid-June, not of the world. That will involve continuing the Cen- long after she joined the board. ter’s impressive activities in publications and public events, and taking on even more projects that I’ve been struck by how many native Center for Desert Archaeology Westerners and even native Tucsonans 300 E. University Blvd., Ste. 230 Tucson, AZ 85705 we have on our staff and board. Are (520) 882-6946 you a native of the West, or of Tucson? (520) 882-6948 (fax) What is your history with this com- [email protected] munity? www.cdarc.org I consider Tucson and southern Arizo- Board of Directors na—its people, its history, its culture—as Al Arpad Peter Boyle Home, even though I was born and Demion Clinco raised in Connecticut. I came to Arizona William H. Doelle for the first time in 1965, to work with Diana Hadley Bernard Siquieros the architect Paolo Soleri, and I realized Benjamin Smith that this was the place I really belonged. Donna Tang I moved to Tucson permanently in Advisory Board 1970, and have not regretted that move Hester Davis for even a moment since. My husband, Don Fowler William D. Lipe David, is a second-generation Tucsonan Dr. Tang at . Margaret Nelson whose family has been here since the William J. Robinson late 1800s. His mother is one of “Las Doñas del Pre- involve cultural heritage preservation. I am very James Snead Elisa Villalpando sidio de Tucson.” committed to preserving voices, stories, and places of the Southwest that are not often heard and that Staff Our records show that you have been involved Jeffery J. Clark, Ph.D., Preservation are in danger of fading away. Of course, this means Archaeologist with the Center as a member and volunteer since the board will have to work hard to increase mem- Jacquie M. Dale, M.A., Preservation 1997! What drew you to become a member? bership and ensure the financial health of the orga- Archaeologist Mathew Devitt, M.A., Preservation My first contact with the Center was as an archae- nization so that these activities can continue. Archaeologist and Digital Media ology student at Pima College, when I responded Specialist to a call for volunteers to help with a survey of the Everyone associated with the Center has favorite Douglas W. Gann, Ph.D., Preservation places in the Southwest—what are yours? What is Archaeologist and Digital Media Cienega Valley under the direction of Michelle Ste- Specialist vens, who was a doctoral student at the time. That your connection to them? David A. Gregory, M.A., Preservation experience was so stimulating and enjoyable that When I first came to the Southwest, one of the Archaeologist Deborah L. Huntley, Ph.D., Preservation I’ve been supporting the Center in every way I can places that fascinated me the most was Chaco Archaeologist since then. Canyon. I had been interested in Mesoamerican Rob Jones, M.A., Preservation Fellow architecture and culture since childhood, and that Andy Laurenzi, M.S., Field Representative Over those twelve years, how do you feel the was my first physical encounter with an ancient Debra L. Lee, Office Manager organization has changed? From your perspec- American civilization. I’ve pursued my interest Matthew Pailes, B.A., Preservation tive, what are the most significant changes? ever since, as a scholar of Archaeology and of Archaeologist Linda J. Pierce, M.A., Programs The Center has certainly changed, most signifi- Comparative Cultural and Literary Studies, with an Manager cantly in size and presence. When I first became emphasis on the built environment (architecture, Paul F. Reed, M.A., Preservation cities, geography) and on Latin America. Chaco Archaeologist involved, I think there was only one staff member, Kate Sarther Gann, M.A., Membership and the organization was sharing whatever corner Canyon, especially the Chetro Ketl ruin, has never Coordinator of the Desert Archaeology, Inc., offices was avail- lost its magical appeal for me, which has only deep- Tobi Taylor, M.A., Content Editor, ened as we learn more about the prehistory of the Archaeology Southwest able. The Center newsletter was called “Archaeolo- James M. Vint, M.A., Preservation gy in Tucson,” and—well, it was kind of puny, even Southwest. Fellow though very interesting. The Center’s activities Aaron Wright, M.A., Preservation Fellow have moved beyond digs and surveys, and I have Research Associates definitely been pleased with the changes I have If you’d like to visit Chaco Canyon and see Chetro Ketl Richard Flint, Ph.D. for yourself, start here: www.nps.gov/chcu. To learn Shirley Cushing Flint, M.A. seen because they all involve a dramatic deepening J. Brett Hill, Ph.D. and expansion of the Center’s fundamental mis- more about visionary architect Paolo Soleri and Arco- Patrick D. Lyons, Ph.D. sion—a mission in which I firmly believe. santi, go to www.arcosanti.org.

Preservation Archaeology News • Summer 2009 page 2 research and numerous contributions to logical Testing Project. The Center and Celebrate! . Over the course Hendrix College returned to Mule Creek, of his career, Bill has undertaken field- New Mexico, this June, to continue ongoing News We’re Proud to Share work at diverse locations, including Point research into late prehistoric migrations of Pines, Spanish missions in southern and social connections along the Upper n The Center for Desert Archaeology Arizona, and Ancestral Puebloan sites in Gila. Seven undergraduate students learned and Salmon Ruins Museum received the the Kayenta area of northeastern Arizona. excavation and survey techniques from State of New Mexico’s 2009 Heritage He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology Center staff and volunteers, took field trips Preservation Award in the category of from the University of Arizona. Bill joined to Chaco Canyon and the Gila Cliff Dwell- Heritage Organization. The award rec- the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research as ings, and assisted in the preparation of a ognizes the success of the ongoing part- a Research Associate in 1963, and was sub- field school favorite, pit-roasted goat. Labo- nership between the Center and Salmon sequently promoted to Assistant Professor, ratory processing and analysis has Assistant Director, and begun back in Tucson, and a preliminary ultimately, to Director. report on last summer's fieldwork in Mule Bill’s primary research Creek is now available. Contact Rob at the interests have been Center for more information, (520) 882- dendrochronology and 6946. paleoclimatic recon- n Congratulations also go out to Rob struction; he has also Jones and Katherine Dungan for complet- made important con- ing their Masters degrees in Anthropology tributions to scholarly at the University of Arizona. Rob submitted understanding of the “A Reevaluation of the Point of Pines occupation of southern Phase,” and Katherine examined “Visibil- Arizona by Piman- ity, Monumentality, and Community in speaking groups in the the Chacoan Community at Kin Bineola, early historic period, New Mexico.” Well done! co-authoring a seminal n We’re happy to be seeing a lot more text on Tohono of Preservation Fellow Aaron Wright! Now O’odham pottery. that his fieldwork in the South Mountains Although Bill retired is completed, Aaron has relocated from the from the university in Phoenix area to Tucson. He is beginning to 1993, he has remained write his dissertation, and is still smiling! active in research Aaron’s kind, considerate presence only Center President Bill Doelle (left) and Salmon Ruins Executive Direc- and publication, and adds to the family feeling around the office. tor Larry Baker (right) accepted the New Mexico Heritage Preservation we at the Center Aaron is also looking for some skilled vol- Award in a ceremony on May 2 at the Santa Fe Community Convention have the pleasure of unteers to assist him with technical illus- Center. his company every tration of rock art panels and preliminary Ruins, which has “led to the curation of Tuesday and Thursday. Together with lithic analysis. If you have experience in important artifacts, insightful research, and Patrick Lyons and Gloria Fenner, Bill is pre- either of these areas and would like to help, scholarly publications.” Center Preservation paring a publication of please contact Kate Archaeologist Paul Reed, Center President Rex Gerald’s 1958 manu- Devitt Mat Sarther Gann at kate@ Bill Doelle, and Salmon Ruins Executive script on work at the cdarc.org. Director Larry Baker are at the heart of Davis Ranch site in the n Preservation this eight-year-long partnership, and we San Pedro River Valley. Archaeologist and are so happy that their vision, dedication, Congratulations, Bill, Digital Media Specialist and hard work have been recognized and on this well-deserved Doug Gann, Member- honored in this way. honor! [Editor’s note: ship Coordinator Kate n Center Advisory Board Member and special thanks to Patrick Sarther, and Preserva- Research Associate Bill Robinson is the Lyons for this summary of tion K-9 Bernard were recipient of the 2008 Byron Cummings Bill’s achievements.] united in marriage Award. The award will be presented by the n Center Research on April 11, 2009, at Arizona Archaeological and Historical Associate Brett Hill, the historic Old Fort Society (AAHS) at the Pecos Conference Preservation Fellow Rob Lowell Chapel in in August. Previously, AAHS presented Jones, and Research Tucson, Arizona. The Bill with the Victor Stoner Award, which Assistant Katherine Sonoran Desert blessed recognized his long-term contributions to Dungan have just the occasion with fan- public awareness of regional history and returned from the tastic thunderstorms preservation issues. Dr. Robinson is cur- second season of the Preservation K-9 Bernard in his wed- and a perfectly-timed rently honored for decades of outstanding Mule Creek Archaeo- ding attire. rainbow.

Preservation Archaeology News • Summer 2009 page 3 ing itself may be found at http://pecos. ([email protected]) if you’ll be in the Tucson Participate cortezculturalcenter.org. area and are interested in sharing your n We’re getting ready to kick off the research at one of these lively, informal Events and second season of Archaeology Café, our events. Visit www.cdarc.org for more on monthly “happy hour” discussion forum our series, and check out www.sciencecafes. Opportunities devoted to cultural and scientific topics. We org for more on this growing grassroots meet at Casa Vicente (375 S. Stone Avenue, movement. We videotape these events and n If you’re heading to the Pecos Con- Tucson, Arizona) at 6:00 pm on the first will be posting available footage as soon as ference in Cortez, Colorado, next month Tuesday of every month from September we can. Hope to see you September 1! (August 6–9), be sure to stop by the through May. Speakers address the group n August 20 is Tucson’s 234th birthday! Center’s book and information table to say for about 20 minutes, followed by a moder- Visit www.tucsonsbirthday.org to learn hello, renew your membership, and do a ated Q & A period. We are filling the sched- more about history- and preservation-ori- little shopping! Information on the gather- ule now—please contact Kate Sarther Gann, ented events going on all month.

Viewpoint continued from pg 1 cally that people were not living in the Graffiti, vandalism, and souvenir-hunting ruins and other ancient buildings and Phoenix Basin or much of southern Arizona took a serious toll. objects of prehistoric interest” (Casa Grande in the same way, or in large numbers. [See In the 1880s, archaeological assess- Ruins Foundation Statement, 2007, page 3). Jeffery Clark et al., “Immigrants and Popula- ments on the part of Adolph Bandelier Its role in educating the public about the tion Collapse in the Southern Southwest,” (1883–1884) and Frank Hamilton Cush- Hohokam, archaeological preservation, and Archaeology Southwest 22(4).] ing (1887–1888, under the auspices of the the importance of the place to descendant Hemenway Southwestern Archaeological Native American groups is also acknowl- A Landmark for Centuries Expedition) raised awareness of the dete- edged. of Visitors rioration of the site. U.S. Senate-approved In keeping with this mission, the NPS is The first known written description of the repair work was initiated, and in 1892, Pres- pursuing a unique opportunity to expand “casa grande” and surrounding archaeologi- ident Benjamin Harrison established Casa the boundaries of the monument. Their cal remains appears in a 1694 journal entry Grande as the first archaeological reserve in proposal would bring more of the original by Father Euse- Service Park National village, part bio Kino, a Jesuit of the Casa missionary and Grande Canal, early explorer and a signifi- of the region. cant portion of On a 1697 jour- the Adamsville ney up the San Ruin within Pedro River that CGRNM’s turned westward boundaries— along the Gila and thus within River, Kino was its ability to accompanied preserve and protect those by Captain Juan Artist’s illustration of village life and surrounding landscape at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Mateo Manje, resources. Pos- who also wrote about the thick-walled the United States. This, in turn, spurred the sible interpretive additions include a pedes- adobe structure and the canal in his jour- archaeological resource protection move- trian trail between CGRNM and Adamsville nal. Missionaries actually held masses at ment in America—and ultimately ensured Ruin, which would give visitors an even the structure in the late seventeenth and the relatively high integrity of the architec- more complete sense of this particular eighteenth centuries. Lieutenant Colonel tural remains visitors see today at CGRNM. swath of Hohokam landscape and the rela- Juan Bautista de Anza’s expedition came President Woodrow Wilson made the site a tive ease of interaction between neighbor- through in 1776, and a military detach- National Monument in 1918. CGRNM has ing villages in an irrigation community. Field Representative Andy Lauren ment under Brigadier General Stephen W. been managed by the NPS ever since. - Kearny visited in 1846. As more written zi—who has joined the Center through a accounts appeared and the railroad came Protecting a Landscape, Expanding partnership arrangement with the National within 20 miles of the site (and an associ- a Legacy Trust for Historic Preservation—is work- ated stagecoach line went right past it), CGRNM states its purpose as “the preserva- ing with local partners to strongly support interest in the place grew—to its detriment. tion and interpretation of the Casa Grande the NPS proposal, informally known as the

Preservation Archaeology News • Summer 2009 page 4 “south side proposal.” At the same time, the edge and understanding of the Hohokam, falls to the local member of Congress—in local partners have identified an additional even as they work against the clock and this case, Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick. opportunity to significantly expand the ahead of the bulldozers. There is no ques- The Center and its partners are working to CGRNM and to further enrich preserva- tion, however, that ancient sites and land- promote both the NPS proposal and the Cit- tion of a fundamental Hohokam cultural scapes are being obliterated. Despite the izens’ Proposal. Hopefully, with Congress- landscape. Known as the Citizens’ Proposal, current economic and housing crises and woman Kirkpatrick’s leadership, legislation or “the north side proposal,” this visionary water issues, population in the metropoli- will be drafted and introduced this year. plan would incorporate the entire Escalante tan Phoenix area is still projected to double The Center and its partners are currently irrigation community on the north side of over the next thirty years—meaning that working with the Town of Florence and the the Gila River. much of what remains will be lost. Gila River Indian Community to promote According to Dr. Glenn Rice, an archae- Laudably, southern Arizona communities governing body resolutions in support of ologist who has done extensive work on the have preserved—and continue to preserve— the legislative proposal. north side canal area, “. . . a remarkably portions of some important Hohokam sites The Center urges anyone who is interest- large part of the Escalante irrigation com- as public archaeological parks, but collec- ed in learning more and helping promote munity . . . has remained intact, including tively, these parks represent a small frag- these preservation efforts to contact Andy canal segments, pithouse villages, adobe ment of the prehistoric cultural landscape Laurenzi at the Center for Desert Archaeol- compounds, dry-land farming areas, irri- that was once present in southern Arizona. ogy, (520) 882-6946, or at alaurezi@cdarc. gated farming areas, platform mounds, Some of the best-preserved Hohokam land- org. ballcourts, petroglyphs, and a remarkable scapes are on tribal lands, especially the set of rock shrines . . .” (Casa Grande Ruins Gila River Indian Community, but broader The website of CGRNM is located at www. National Monument Expansion Proposal, public access is constrained. The proposed nps.gov/cagr. A link to a pdf of the Casa 2009, page 3). The rock shrines are des- CGRNM expansion is, therefore, a truly sin- Grande Ruins Foundation Statement may ignated Traditional Cultural Properties gular opportunity to preserve a significant be found on the “Management” page. Current (TCPs) of the Akimel O’odham people of portion of this cultural landscape for future partners in this preservation effort include the the Gila River Indian Community, one of public understanding of our shared past, City of Coolidge, the Town of Florence, the several Native American groups who recog- and as a window onto the scale and breadth Friends of Casa Grande Ruins National Mon- nize the Hohokam as their ancestors. of the Hohokam world. ument, the Pinal County Historical Society, As many Center friends know, the pace the National Trust for Historic Preservation of development in metropolitan Phoenix What Happens Next—and What You (www.preservationnation.org), the National and Tucson over the past thirty years has Can Do Parks Conservation Association (www.npca. provided professional archaeologists with Expansion of CGRNM requires an Act of org), and the Sonoran Institute (www.sonora- a critical opportunity to expand our knowl- Congress. The lead on such legislation often ninstitute.org).

Preservation Archaeology News • Summer 2009 page 5 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Tucson, AZ Permit No. 878

300 E. University Blvd., Ste. 230 Tucson, AZ 85705 Inside Mark the Date: September 1, Archaeology Café

Bookshelf Rick Ergenbright Rick important places. Within each American Indian region, locations are discussed in Places rough chronological order. Places that became significant after A.D. “This will become an indispensable 1900 are not included. Each place is guide to those special places that numbered and may be located on remind us that every place we think regional maps within the text; we ‘discovered’ was already someone several are also depicted in color else’s home.” photographs. Suggested readings and an —Ken Burns, filmmaker extensive bibliography complete Indeed, many reviewers use the word this impressive guidebook—an “indispensable” to describe this compre- essential companion for any heri- hensive guide to 366 places that are signif- tage road trips you might be taking icant to American Indians and open to the this summer! public. Frances H. Kennedy, the editor Royalties from the sale of the and principal contributor, worked in land book benefit the National Museum conservation for more than thirty years. of the American Indian in Washing- She also served as editor of, and principal ton, D.C. contributor to, The Civil War Battlefield Guide, a bestseller now in its second including Kennedy, Center Preservation edition. Archaeologist Jeff Clark, Center Research American Indian Places: A Historical Organized into five geographic regions, Associate Patrick Lyons, and other Guidebook, Frances H. Kennedy, Editor the book presents concise, readable essays Center members and friends—that provide and Principal Contributor, Houghton by Native and non-Native scholars— cultural and historical context to these Mifflin Company, 2008. $29.95.

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