Cline Mesa Data: Lithic Size Class Data from Screened Contexts

The Cline Mesa archaeological sites are part of an extensive settlement complex called the Cline Terrace Complex at the northwestern end of the Tonto Basin, along the eastern bank of Tonto Creek. The Arizona State University, Office of Cultural Resource Management, Roosevelt Platform Mound Study (RPMS) divided the Cline Terrace Complex into three management groups: the Mound, Bandolero, and Indian Point management groups. The Cline Terrace Mound group included the Cline Terrace mound, which is the largest site in the complex and located at the center of the complex, and seven nearby sites. The mound group sites are treated in a separate report volume and the associated data are reported separately (Please see https://core.tdar.org/project/394032). The Cline Mesa sites consist of the remaining 35 archaeological sites along the terraces forming the eastern bank of Tonto Creek and extending to the creek’s confluence with Greenback Creek. Please note that these sites are not necessarily representative of the temporal range in the Cline Mesa settlement complex, as many are Hohokam Late Classic period residential sites on Tonto National Forest land. The Cline Mesa Sites report volumes and data summarize results from the surface collections and excavations at the 35 sites in the complex.

The Cline Mesa Data table Lithic Size Class from Screened Contexts presents a summary of the size grades of the lithic artifacts recovered from excavated, screened contexts at Cline Mesa sites (except Cline Terrace Mound, which is reported separately). The table lists archaeological sites designated by Arizona State Museum (ASM) site numbers (without the "AZ" common to all ASM numbers) (e.g., U:8:205 = ASM site number AZ U:8:205). It then lists designated archaeological contexts - strata - at each site. The 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. Please see column metadata for further detail. Please also see the Cline Mesa strata data tables for further data about each stratum, including the assigned stratum type, at the following tDAR urls:
http://core.tdar.org/dataset/394488
http://core.tdar.org/dataset/394486
http://core.tdar.org/dataset/394487
http://core.tdar.org/dataset/394489
http://core.tdar.org/dataset/394490
http://core.tdar.org/dataset/394485
http://core.tdar.org/dataset/394484

The table then provides the frequency (count) of lithic artifacts within different size grades (bins). All lithic artifacts (from screened contexts) - irrespective of artifact type and material type - were assigned to a size class.

The Cline Mesa Data tables were originally published in the Roosevelt Platform Mound Monograph Series No. 9 titled “Salado Residential Settlements on Tonto Creek, Roosevelt Platform Mound Study: Report on the Cline Mesa Sites, Cline Terrace Complex, Parts 1 and 2.” The tables were published in an appendix at the end of the volume (end of Part 2). Please see the report volume at the following tDAR URL: https://core.tdar.org/document/394299