Data Recovery at Four Sites in Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Yavapai County, Arizona

A data recovery program was completed at four archaeological sites (AZ N:4:37 [NA 25,511], N:4:65 [NA 25,512], N:4:66 [NA 25,513], and N:4:68(ASM) [NA 25,514]) by Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (ACS) for the Phase 3 Roadway Improvement Project (North Campground Facilities) at Dead Horse Ranch State Park (Park) (Figure 1.1). This program represents the last of a series of mitigation actions conducted for an undertaking sponsored by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and Arizona State Parks (ASP), which included improvements to existing facilities and construction of new facilities at the Park. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the lead agency for this undertaking because a Section 404 permit for the Clean Water Act was required for the construction of a bridge across the Verde River in Phase I construction. The contract to design the proposed undertaking and oversee its construction was awarded to Entranco Engineers, Inc. The limited nature of the project impacts required no subsurface investigations, so data recovery efforts primarily consisted of surface collection and mapping. Because substantial portions of each site are preserved, further investigation will be required should additional undertakings be planned that directly impact the sites.

AZ N:4:37(ASM) is the only site directly impacted and all artifacts within the right-of-way were collected. Because the features were outside the area of direct impacts, no excavation occurred at this or the other three sites. AZ N:4:68(ASM) will be avoided by the proposed development and protected by a fence. The site is located in sensitive Arizona cliffrose habitat, which must be protected, and this area will be monitored by Park staff to ensure it remains undisturbed. With the area east of the campground out-of-bounds, the area to the west where AZ N:4:65 and N:4:66(ASM) are located will be accessible to campers, hikers, and other park visitors. A drainage ditch will be constructed on the west side of the campground near AZ N:4:66(ASM), so the site boundaries were staked, and the excavation of the ditch will be monitored by a professional archaeologist to ensure the site is not impacted when construction takes place. One hundred percent of the surface artifacts at AZ N:4:66(ASM), and 20 percent of the surface artifacts at AZ N:4:65(ASM) were collected to mitigate these indirect impacts.

AZ N:4:37, N:4:65, and N:4:68(ASM) were multi-component sites containing evidence of both Prehistoric and Historic period occupations. AZ N:4:37(ASM), a permanent habitation, appeared to date from the early 1900s to the mid-1930s. The prehistoric component was less well-defined but exhibited some evidence of Hohokam influence. There was no clear evidence to indicate its function or length of occupation. AZ N:4:65(ASM) exhibited a short-term Euroamerican occupation dating around 1900. Flaked glass artifacts, including six flake tools, indicated possible Yavapai occupation or use. The prehistoric component contained no diagnostics, and was characterized solely by chipped stone artifacts. The historic component at AZ N:4:68(ASM) dominated the site and appears to date between 1900 and 1940. The range and diversity of historic artifacts and surface features suggested it functioned as an early Euroamerican homestead. The prehistoric component appeared to represent a short-term Sinagua occupation dating to the Honanki phase (A.D. 1125 to 1300) and may be related to the occupation at nearby Tuzigoot. AZ N:4:66(ASM) was a resource procurement and processing site of unknown age and cultural affiliation. The artifact assemblage included only chipped stone cores and debitage and one piece of flaked glass. Two activities appeared to be represented: exploitation of the cobble exposures at the site for chipped stone tools and resource processing at the possible roasting pit cluster. A bifacially flaked and utilized piece of amethyst-colored glass suggested a relationship to the possible Yavapai occupation at nearby AZ N:4:65(ASM).