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At the request of Ms. Homaira Parveen and Mr. Ed Checkley of the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department and under Environmental and Safety Regulatory Consulting On-Call Contract #124947, Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd (ACS) conducted archaeological monitoring of the installation of a storm drain, catchment basins, paving, sidewalks, busbays, and other roadway improvements along Southern Avenue. In the Archaeological Assessment reports prepared by the City Archaeology Office for this project, which were dated March 3, 2008, it was noted that the project corridor crosses Lombeye Ruin, AZ T:12:15(PG)/T:12:109(ASM), a prehistoric habitation with human remains, as well as the projected locations of several prehistoric canals. The City Archaeology Office recommended monitoring ground disturbance within the site as well as areas of disturbance within 250 ft of the site and within 50 ft of the projected canal crossings (Serocki 2008a, 2008b). An exception to that recommended coverage is for the portion of the project corridor, which crosses another portion of Lombeye Ruin. Past work along that segment of Southern Avenue had failed to yield undisturbed contexts or intact archaeological remains (Lindly and Mitchell 2004). Therefore, the City of Phoenix Archaeology Office determined that no archaeological monitoring would be needed for construction along that portion of the project corridor. ACS’ archaeological monitoring of the City of Phoenix’s storm drain excavation identified no cultural resources. Isolated artifacts within disturbed contexts were observed during monitoring, although no artifacts were associated with intact deposits. Projected canal alignments and the Lombeye Ruin site boundary could not be confirmed based on observations during monitoring. Unfortunately, the level of disturbance documented by monitoring combined with the depth of the trenches dug for the storm drain—trenches were too deep to be safely entered for cleaning and inspection under OSHA standards— precluded confirmation of the canal alignments or the site boundary. The presence of artifacts mixed with modern trash suggests that intact, upper level subsurface deposits may have been present at one time but have become displaced as a result of modern construction activities.

This report presents the results of an archaeological testing and data recovery program conducted by EcoPlan for COP on approximately three acres of land in south Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. These archaeological investigations were conducted in advance of the COP Neighborhood Services Department’s South Phoenix Village Loop Street and Landscaping project (COP Cost Center Numbers ND30010010 and ND30010011). Because project activities associated with these projects were deemed likely to impact suspected cultural resources within the project area, COP requested that EcoPlan prepare and implement a cultural resources testing and discovery program for the treatment of suspected cultural resources in the project area. In total, fifteen prehistoric features and one historic feature were discovered and investigated. Archaeological features included four Hohokam field houses, three canals, six small pits, a possible reservoir, and an alignment of postholes believed to be the remains of a ramada-like structure. The historic feature consisted of the buried remains of a privy. The archaeological expressions in the study area were assigned site number AZ T:12:231 (ASM) by ASM.

At the request of Salt River Project, the Museum of Northern Arizona conducted an archaeological survey of a proposed 500kV transmission line between the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (near Wintersburg, Arizona) and the Kyrene Substation (near Tempe, Arizona). During survey of the 73.3 mi right-of-way, evidences of historic and prehistoric activity were recorded at 10 sites and 43 loci of isolated artifacts or features. With few exceptions, all identified remains could be assigned to the Hohokam culture. The Museum recommends, where feasible, that all cultural remains be avoided. In instances where sites or portions of sites cannot be avoided specific mitigation recommendations are presented. This file includes related correspondence.

The on-the-ground survey of the ditches was designed to locate any remnants of prehistoric activities and to note the historic and historic/modern structures and use areas which reflect the past and intertwine with the ditches and fields to create the ambient that is the San Juan Valley. The notations and locations have been used to ensure that carrying out Stage III of the project would disturb or destroy as few resources as possible and to contribute to the general knowledge of the history of the area. The scope and nature of the proposed construction activity, previous investigations (which began in 1983), and the general culture history of the project area dictated the approach used in conducting cultural resources (CR) investigations for Stage III of the project. Primary disturbance or destruction was along and to the acequias. Staging areas and access routes to all project features were affected to a lesser degree. In the cultural resources appendix to the Environmental Assessment for Stage I activities for the Velarde Community Ditch Project, an approach to survey of borrow sources, which were to be identified by the contractor shortly after award of contract, was defined. The approach, which was rigorously followed during the construction and periodic repair of the now completed structures, has proven to be expedient and has protected the resources. The same approach was followed during modification of the ditches. Background research for the 1983 assessment included a check of Museum of New Mexico Laboratory of Anthropology (LA) site files for recorded prehistoric and historic sites, of which there were only six, and the determination that none of these would be affected by the Stage I work. These sites, and the two recorded during CR survey of the diversion structure sites, are discussed in relation to the Stage III construction along with the results of the intensive survey of the acequias and documentary research of the history of the area.