Echoes in the Canyons: The Archaeology of the Southeastern Sierra Ancha, Central Arizona

by Richard C Lange, Richard S Ciolek-Torrello (With), Lynn S Teague (With), Lisa W Huckell (With), Christine H Lange (With)

Overview

The Sierra Ancha is a rugged mountain range in east-central Arizona. Emil Haury first documented the cliff dwellings there more than 70 years ago, and wood from the cliff dwellings was important in demonstrating the utility of tree-ring dating in areas other than the Colorado Plateau. Most of the cliff dwellings were occupied from ca. AD 1280 to 1330, and the majority of prehistoric settlement in the southeastern Sierra Ancha also dates to this period. This volume describes the Sierra Ancha Project, begun in 1981, which focuses on the southeastern Sierra Ancha and documents more than 20 cliff dwellings. It discusses the environmental setting and factors for locating the cliff dwellings where they are. It summarizes architectural features and presents detailed maps of the cliff dwellings. A new rock-art style present in the caverns is described for the first time. Finally, the settlements in the southeastern Sierra Ancha are discussed within the context of this dynamic region lying between the Tonto Basin, Mogollon Rim, and Grasshopper regions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781889747804
Publisher:	University of Arizona Press
Publication date:	05/18/2012
Series:	Arizona State Museum Archaeological Series
Pages:	358
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

Contents     iii
List of Figures     vi
List of Tables     xi
Preface and Acknowledgments     xiv
Previous Work and Project History     1
Archaeological Work in the Southeastern Sierra Ancha and Vicinity     2
Earliest Visitors and Descriptions     2
Gila Pueblo and Emil W. Haury     4
Byron Cummings     6
Arizona State University Field Schools     7
Helga Teiwes and the US Forest Service     7
Haury's Second Trip     7
Wesley Wells     7
The Cholla Project     7
Beginnings of the Sierra Ancha Project     8
Beam Replacement (V:1:136), 1983     8
Statistical Research, Inc., October 1991     9
Earthwatch 1995 and 1996     9
1996 to Present     10
Project Activities     11
Hiking     11
Site Recording     12
Surveying     13
Mapping     13
Photography     15
Wood Studies     15
Architectural Documentation     16
General Documentation     17
Roofing Study     18
Collections     18
Temperature Studies     19
Physiography     21
Geology and Elevation     21
Water Resources     23
Drainages     23
Stream Flow     27
Precipitation     29
Seeps and Springs     29
Climate     29
Temperature     29
Growing Season     30
Climatic History     30
Natural Resources     34
Caves and Shelters     34
Stone - Construction Materials     35
Stone - Materials for Tools     35
Clay     35
Stone - Exotic Materials     36
Plants     36
Animals     37
Summary     37
Ceramics     39
The Sierra Ancha Collections     40
Comparisons and Discussions for the SAP Collections     41
Gila Pueblo Collections and Granite Basin Pueblo     41
Upper and Lower Tonto Ruins     41
Tonto Basin     44
Grasshopper Area     45
Roosevelt Red Ware, Cibola White Ware, and White Mountain Red Ware     45
Roosevelt Red Ware (Salado Polychromes)     46
Cibola White Ware      48
White Mountain Red Ware     50
Salado Red Corrugated     51
Summary     53
Trees, Tree-Rings, and Chronology     55
Wood Use     55
Chronology     66
GP C:1:38     67
V:1:130, GP C:1:16E/N     67
V:1:131, GP C:1:16C/M     67
V:1:132, GP C:1:16W/S     72
V:1:133, GP C:1:21     72
V:1:134, GP C:1:23     72
V:1:135, GP C:1:40     72
V:1:136, GP C:1:36     72
V:1:162, GP C:1:8     72
V:1:163, GP C:1:14     73
V:1:164, GP C:1:25     73
V:1:165, GP C:1:30     73
V:1:167, GP C:1:44     73
V:1:168, GP C:1:45     74
V:1:174: GP C:1:46     74
Other Sites     74
Summary     74
Architecture of the Sierra Ancha Cliff Dwellings     75
Construction Materials     75
Stone     75
Mortar and Plaster     78
Water     80
Wood and Other Plant Materials     82
Wall Construction     82
Wall Types     84
Wall Cross-sections      86
Wall Features     86
Other Architectural Features     100
Hatches     100
Ladders     102
Site Configuration     102
Room Construction     102
Special Rooms     104
Granaries     108
Roofing Systems     109
Roof Components     110
Theoretical Roofing Systems     113
Structural Analyses of the Theoretical Roofing Systems     113
Comparing Actual Examples and the Model Roofing Systems     119
Roofing Systems Summary     123
Building A Cliff Dwelling     123
Solar and Temperature Considerations     124
Building the Cliff Dwelling     130
Site Descriptions     135
The SAP Sites     136
Artifact Scatters     138
Isolated Walls and Checkdams     138
Surface Pueblos and Compounds     138
Cliff Dwellings     157
Other Sites     184
Other Material Culture and Other Materials     187
Flaked Stone     187
Ground Stone     187
Pot Plugs     189
Steatite     193
Shell      193
Human Bone     195
Macrobotanical Remains     196
Textiles     199
Rock Art and Wall Painting in the Southeastern Sierra Ancha   Christine H. Virden-Lange     201
Introduction     201
Background History     201
Rock Art Technology and Terminology     202
Petroglyphs     202
Pictographs     203
Terminology     203
Dating Techniques     204
Rock Art and Wall Painting of the Southeastern Sierra Ancha     205
Recording and Analysis     206
Distribution of Rock Art by Site     209
Wall Painting     232
Graffiti and Historic Inscriptions     234
Discussion     235
Conclusion     236
Regional Culture History and the Southeastern Sierra Ancha   Richard C. Lange   Richard S. Ciolek-Torrello     239
Silver Creek     241
Grasshopper     245
Upper Cherry Creek: Pleasant Valley, Vosberg, Q Ranch, and Rock House Areas     250
Archaic Period (up to ca AD 400)     250
Early Ceramic Horizon (AD 400-700)     250
Pit House Period     251
Sedentary Period (AD 1000-1150)      252
Early Classic Period (AD 1150-1300)     252
Late Classic Period (AD 1300-1400)     253
Payson-Star Valley     254
Tonto Basin     254
Paleo-Indian and Archaic Periods (10,000BC to AD 100)     255
Early Ceramic Horizon (AD 100-600)     256
Preclassic Period (AD 600-1150)     256
Early Classic Period (AD 1150-1350)     261
Late Classic Period (AD 1350-1450)     264
Globe-Miami     267
Lower Cherry Creek     267
Middle Cherry-Creek and the Southeastern Sierra Ancha     268
Paleoindian, Archaic, and Early Ceramic Periods     268
Preclassic Period: Colonial and Sedentary or Pueblo I through Pueblo III     269
Early Classic Period: Roosevelt Phase or Late Pueblo III     269
Late Classic Period: Gila Phase or Pueblo IV 9AD 1350-1450)     272
Conclusion     276
Work Plans: Proposed and Actual (1981, 1995, 1996)     281
Site Data and Site Number Concordances     287
Site Maps from SAP Sites and Other Sites in the Vicinity of the Southeastern Sierra Ancha     293
Inventory and Assessment of Research Potential for Plant Remains from Cliff Dwellings in the Sierra Ancha, Arizona   Lisa W. Huckell   Richard C. Lange     317
Introduction     317
Methods     317
Results     317
Taxa Recovered     317
Summary     325
Textiles from AZ V:1:131 (ASM), AZ V:1:134 (ASM) and AZ V:1:136 (ASM)   Lynn S. Teague     327
Fiber     327
Cordage     327
Fabric     327
Conclusions     333
References Cited     335