Excavations at Tumacacori, 1979/1980: Historic Archeology at Tumacacori National Monument, Arizona

The Western Archeological and Conservation Center conducted excavations in the Campo Santo (cemetery), granary, and convento area of Tumacacori National Honument, Arizona, prior to a series of stabilization
projects within the mission complex. A trench dug by C. Hichael Barton in the Campo Santo revealed a series of well-defined occupation levels from the early mission period. This area was found to be associated with secular functions and domestic activities, indicating that the Campo Santo originally may have been part of the Indian village rather than the mission complex. Kay Simpson excavated two trenches in Rooms 13 and 14 of the granary. A complicated building sequence was found which included fill, plastered use surfaces, and bricks and cobble stones embedded in foundation mortar. Also uncovered was an earlier room, badly disturbed, but possibly predating the convento. Lee Fratt excavated in the cloister and Rooms 42 and 60 of the south wing of the Franciscan convento. Architectural features exposed included walls, floors, the cloister bench, and an unidentified adobe structure. Deposits predating the convento also appeared. Although all three projects were limited in scope, the information recovered suggests that extensive, undisturbed, cuItural deposits from the mission period still exist at Tumacacori.