Archaeological Monitoring of Geological Test Trenches on the San Xavier District, Tohono O'odham Nation, Pima County, Arizona. San Xavier Farm Rehabilitation Project

This document is part of the San Xavier Farm Rehabilitation Project. Additional entries related to this project can be found at the following link: https://core.tdar.org/collection/27482

At the request of Tom Lincoln, chief archaeologist for the US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (ACS) conducted monitoring in conjunction with a Reclamation investigation on the San Xavier Farm Cooperative, south of Tucson, Arizona. The purpose of the monitoring was to identify, record, and evaluate any archaeological resources that might be exposed in the course of backhoe trenching. This trenching was aimed at exposing soil characteristics and conditions pertaining to formation of sink holes, which historically have been a problem for the San Xavier Farm (Effland et al. 1989:31). At the same time Dr. Michael Waters of Texas A & M University inspected the Santa Cruz riverbanks to provide data on the spatial distribution of known and potential archaeological resources along the channel margin (see Part II). No cultural resources were identified in the geologic trenches monitored by ACS; however, one previously recorded site (AZ BB:13:14[ASM]) and a new site were identified along the riverbanks. Dr. Waters also noted that in one place along the river the banks have retreated approximately 75 m in only 10 years and the loss of archaeological resources is a serious danger for this area.