Public Lands and Cultural Resource Protection: A Case Study of Unauthorized Damage to Archaeological Sites on the Tonto National Forest, Arizona -- Primary Data

In 2010, Archaeology Southwest (formally the Center for Desert Archaeology) conducted a condition and damage assessment of 96 prominent, late precontact archaeological sites on the Tonto National Forest (TNF, Forest) in central Arizona. Field inspections were performed to examine the current condition of sites, record the degree, type, and relative age of observed damage (if any), identify potential factors affecting site condition and damage and, in light of this information, develop recommendations regarding site stewardship.