The 6th and Toole Project: Tucson Warehouse Historic District (9.7 MB)

This report provides detailed information about the archaeological remains uncovered at the northeast corner of 6th and Toole Avenues near the former Southern Pacific Railroad Depot. The project area was the former location of various residential and commercial enterprises associated with the railroad and represents the remains of some of Tucson’s earliest warehouses.

Additional Archaeological Historical Research in the Presidio, Historic Block 181, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona (26 MB)

Excavations reveal that Block 181 contains a wealth of cultural resources. Prehistoric pit structures dating to the Early Agricultural and Hohokam periods are common. Tucson Presidio era features include trash-filled pits and adobe foundations. American Territorial period features include the standing Siqueiros-Jácome House, as well as privies, wells, and large trash-filled borrow pits.

Archaeological Data Recovery at El Parque de Diego y Orlando Mendoza, Lot 10 of Block 247 in the Barrio Libre Historic District, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona (20.4 MB)

This report details the results of archaeological investigations undertaken during the El Parque de Diego y Orlando Mendoza project in Historic Barrio Libre. Archaeological investigations revealed the remains of an adobe rowhouse that once served as a residence, a blacksmith shop, and a corner store.

Archaeological Excavations of the Hooper Warehouse, the Tucson Sampling Works, and the Southern Pacific Railroad Clubhouse, Historic Block 95 (4.54 MB)

Archaeological data recovery documented the physical remains of the Hooper warehouse (1880-circa 1887), the Tucson Sampling Works (1887-1901), and the Southern Pacific Railroad Clubhouse (1906 circa 1964). Features associated with the buildings yielded artifacts and food remains providing significant data on the lives of the residents and workers associated with the property between 1880 and 1901.

Archaeological Investigations and Data Recovery at Historic Block 83, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona (5.79 MB)

Archaeological excavations at historic Block 83 revealed a large artifact assemblage associated with the former boarding houses, hotels, and saloons located on the block. The features, food remains, and artifacts provide the first look at a late nineteenth and early twentieth century commercial block in downtown Tucson.

Archaeological Investigations at AZ BB:13:756 (ASM) and AZ BB:13:757 (ASM) Historic Block 185, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona (3.28 MB)

Archaeological excavations at Historic Block 185 documented features from two subsurface archaeological sites, AZ BB:13:756 (ASM) and AZ BB:13:757 (ASM). BB:13:756 included soil mining pits, where material to manufacture adobe bricks for the Tucson Presidio was collected, and the foundations of twentieth century dwellings. BB:13:757 consisted of portions of two canals, one dating to the Prehistoric era and one filled with Territorial-era trash.

The Discovery of the Francisco Romero House and Presideo-era Mining Pits: Archaeological Testing of Centennial Park, AZ BB:13:756 (ASM), Tucson, Pima County, Arizona (12.4 MB)

Technical Archaeological testing was conducted within the location of Centennial Park. An American Territorial house foundation associated with Francisco Romero, a prominent resident of Tucson during the American Territorial period was located and dates to the 1870s. An adobe brick bread oven was found nearby and predates the Romero house, probably constructed in the 1850s or 1860s. Below the foundation, Presidio-era (1775-1856) artifacts were found in borrow pit features.

Joint Courts Complex Archaeological Project

In 2006, Pima County initiated one of the largest and most complex archaeological excavations ever undertaken in the state. Because the entire parcel was planned to be developed into a City-County Courts Complex, state law required the complete recovery and removal of burials from the site and repatriation to descendants with cultural affinity. The excavation resulted in the recovery of nearly 1,400 individuals buried during Tucson's Territorial Period, together with more than 700 archaeological features dating to the post-cemetery and prehistoric periods. 

Major Archaeological Projects in Downtown Tucson (1.52 MB)

Rio Nuevo Archaeological Report

This report presents summaries and interpretations of the archaeological features, artifacts, and historical data uncovered during the Rio Nuevo Archaeology program conducted in downtown Tucson between 2000 and 2003 for the City of Tucson. Several major archaeological sites were investigated, including the San Agustín Mission and Mission Gardens, the Tucson Presidio, the Tucson Brickyard, the prehistoric Clearwater site, and numerous historic and prehistoric canals.