Archeological Investigations at the Upper Ruin, Tonto National Monument Part 1 Salvage Excavations at the Upper Ruin, AZ U:8:48 (ASM) - 1995

Fox, Gregory L, Western Archeological and Conservation Center, 1415 North Sixth Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85705. SALVAGE EXCAVATIONS AT THE UPPER RUIN (AZ U:8:48)-1995, TONTO NATIONAL MONUMENT

Continuing water damage to adobe and masonry structures in the Upper Ruin (AZ U:8:48), Tonto National Monument, required archeological excavations to mitigate the adverse effects of stabilization efforts in this Gila-phase cliff dwelling. The data-recovery project was required
under Section 106 ofthe National Historic Preservation Act, because this site is a contributing property to the Tonto National Monument Archeological District. Limited excavations, employing differential recovery techniques, were placed in Area A at the rear of the rockshelter
adjacent to Rooms 17 and 19 to discover the cause of the water damage and to remove intact deposits of cultural materials prior to correcting the drainage pattern and repairing the damage to the rooms. A total of 7 square meters of surface area was removed from the shelter floor to
expose and repair the drainage problem.

Although these excavations fall under the rubric of salvage excavations, new data derived from the analyses of the recovered cultural materials and ancillary investigations conducted as an integral part of this project will require adjustments in the National Park Service's interpretation
ofthis National Register property. In particular, the first, formal absolute dates for the occupation of the shelter were generated as part of this stabilization project. Dendrochronological dates and radiocarbon assays now place the occupation of the cliff dwelling as early as A.D. 1303 and
potentially as late as A.D. 1473. The site and domestic structures are now considered to represent an occupation that began during either the late Roosevelt phase (Early Classic period) or the early Gila phase (Late Classic period). The occupation may extend beyond circa A.D. 1450, the
accepted terminus of the Gila phase.