Schoolhouse Point Mesa Data, Lower Schoolhouse Mesa Sites: Strata

The Schoolhouse Point Mesa archaeological sites are part of an extensive settlement system on the southern banks of the Salt River. The Arizona State University, Office of Cultural Resource Management, Roosevelt Platform Mound Study (RPMS) divided the Schoolhouse Point Mesa settlement complex into two groups: the Schoolhouse Management Group and the Livingston Management Group. The Schoolhouse Management Group includes those sites on the west side of Pinto Creek Wash, while the Livingston Management Group includes sites on the east side of the wash. Schoolhouse Point Mound (AZ U:8:24(ASM), AR-03-12-06-13a(USFS)) is the largest site in the Schoolhouse Management Group and on the mesa. The mound is treated in a separate report volume and its data are reported separately (Please see https://core.tdar.org/project/394037). The Schoolhouse Point Mesa report volumes and data document the remaining 23 archaeological sites in the Schoolhouse Management Group. Nineteen of the sites are located on the mesa, while four are west of the mesa on the terraces overlooking the Salt River.
The Schoolhouse Point Mesa, Lower Mesa Sites Strata data table provides a summary of the features and associated strata (as well as strata type) identified during RPMS investigations at archaeological sites on the lower portion of Schoolhouse Mesa. The table identifies each archaeological site by its Arizona State Museum (ASM) site number and its USFS Tonto Forest site number (ASM number/last three digits of Tonto Forest number) (e.g., U:8:23/177). It then lists features and designated archaeological contexts - strata - at each site. Features are designated by combining two numbering systems: the ASM site number, a colon, and the feature number (Note that the "AZ" common to every ASM site number is not used in this table.). Feature numbers begin with the number "1" at each site and progress sequentially (EX: U:8:384:005 = site AZ U:8:384, Feature 5; U:8:384:006 = site AZ U:8:384, Feature 6).
Strata represent major natural or cultural depositional events such as erosional fill, roof fall, floor contexts, and sterile substrate. Strata are depicted as horizontal rows of interconnected boxes on a Harris Matrix. In this table, the archaeological contexts - strata - are identified by a combination of numbering systems: the ASM site number, a colon, the feature number, and the stratum letter designation (EX: U:3:198:006A, U:3:198:006B). Within a feature, each stratum is designated by the feature number (e.g., 10, 11, 12, etc.) and a letter that designates a particular stratum (e.g., A, B, C). The letters are assigned in descending order. Mixed levels and artifacts collected out of context are designated by a "?". Artifacts from each feature (or mixed context) are tallied according to strata.
The table also lists, for each feature and stratum, associated subfeatures. For example, a pit house might be associated with the following subfeatures: post holes, a hearth, and storage pits. Associated sub-features are designated by the feature number and a decimal number. For each feature, subfeature numbers begin with .01 and increase sequentially. The example pit house might be numbered Feature 1 and its subfeatures might be numbered 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, etc. The table provides a description of each subfeature.
Finally, the table provides two volume measurements for each designated context. It provides a volume of total fill for a context and a volume of screened fill for each context. These volumes may be useful for calculating relative artifact densities for archaeological contexts.