SAN PEDRO ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD TRIP 07-02
Soza Ballcourt -- across from the distinctive rock formations
images: see soza_ballcourt1-3; ballct&mound_map shows
distributions of these on the San Pedro; also ballcourt_models
There are some half dozen of these in the San Pedro; estimate 9001100 AD; this is a large one. The main site is located on a bench toward
the river (some of the ceramics of which are later than the ballcourt).
“Smallhouse Narrows” -- this is the geological formation marking the
location of the Reeve Ruin. The river is usually perennial to this point.
(Elna Otter and I visited it looking at the A-7 Bellota, on which this ruin
is located. See those videos?) The Davis Ranch Ruin is just north of this,
on the right bank; the Reeve Ruin on the left Bank.
Reeve Ruin & Davis Ranch Ruin:
(all of Di Peso’s artifacts are at the Amerind Foundation. John
Ware, the new director, is revitalizing this place.)
images: reeve_ruin1-4; reeve_davis1-2; reeve_sanpedro
The dates of both these ruins are the 1250s; they mark a Pueblo
intrusion/migration, Reeve definitely a defensive site (Davis less so, on a
bluff). Blue sites on the map (ballct&mound_map) show platform
mounds -- this the southern perimeter, so a marginal area, intruders
probably marginalized here; there’s a gap between Cascabel and south of
Benson at this time (1250s).
The Davis site has a Kayenta Kiva type -- Hopi Kiva features; The
Hopi and Zuni have no doubt that this Reeve Ruin is a Pueblo site, based
on the pottery. The ceramic types run from the Kayenta south through
here, indicating that thousands of people came from the North. Ceramic
types: Salado polychrome (black design on white; red back of shard)
Stacked stone masonry here -- technique was brought in, and they
may have selected this site for its sandstone.
Distinctive Pueblo entryway for the doors.
There are 10s of these sites in the San Pedro and in the Safford
area, from Arivaipa to Safford -- Di Peso thought they were unique, but
we think thousands of people came down from there through here.
Tree ring data (Jeff Dean) from the late 1200s, 1300s north of the
rim indicate that climatic chaos obtained -- people couldn’t predict the
rainfall patterns, so they came down through here.
The Hopi (and Zuni?), on the other hand, claim they came from the
South -- a place called Palatkwapi (sp?) meaning “red-walled city” or “red
city of the south”; does it refer to Casa Grande? or Mexico? Clan
migration histories confirm this. There are Pima loan words in Zuni; and
in the Coronado narratives, people living on the San Pedro said that “we
do farm labor in Zuni.” Hopi place names go south -- the further south,
the further back in time; the most recent are from the Little Colorado
area.
Sobaipuri sites of Fr. Kino’s time, on the other hand: are hard to
identify with the archaeological ruins -- very little pottery, though their
irrigation and growing of crops was described. How did they cook their
food?
Alder Wash:
lies directly across from Kielberg Canyon. The High Mesa site
there dates from the Classic Period -- 1250-1450 AD -- has a Platform
Mound, contiguous buildings. (Images: kielberg_highmesa1,2)
Shell trumpets have been found mainly near Platform Mounds;
The Hopis use these for Water Serpent Ceremonies, say they were
“brought from the South”.
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There are two components to Alder Wash archaeology:
Hohokam pit houses -- these are large, fairly typically
rectangular; dates are 900-1100 AD; nearby, a stone-lined
roasting pit [images: alder_wash1, 7, 6] -- agave pits are
associated with Hohokam ceramics. Rock Lines -- [image
alder_wash9] indicate some kind of water control.
Sobaipuri component -- these occur after a gap of from 200-500
years; [note: during these times, the High Mesa site above was
occupied at least from 1250 AD) This village was probably one of
those Kino wrote about, but we don’t know which one; may also
have been here in Coronado’s time. Sobaipuri show a totally
different mode of living from the Hohokam. Pole houses
(indicated by rock circles -- image alder_wash5, 8)
This location: beside the Alder Wash: see images: alder_wash2, 3. (it
runs down from Catalinas -- a very substantial wash.)
Second Canyon site:
This one has been fully published -- located near milepost 7 on a
hill above the road (see the ballcourt-platform mound map -- compact
small block of houses, walled around (rectangle).
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Near Fairbanks: Gaybanipitea
Images: gayban_map01, 02
Tiny Spanish fort, built in the midst of the Sobaipuri; location
described by Kino, Manje et al: Manje 1697: 25 occupants; Babocomari
Stream right next to the south. This the location of the fight with the
Apaches when many Apaches were killed. They had attacked, over-run
the fort when a large contingent of Pima warriors arrived and killed a
great many of them. The accounts also describe that the Hopis came
down here in the late 1600s, early 1700s to trade.
The Apaches had previously had not only hostile relations to the
Sobaipuri, indeeed some Apache clans trace their origin to the Sobaipuri
and they formerly had sometimes allied together.
Images: gayban_02 to 05 -- show Sobaipuri circles, mescal
roasting pit, tiny Spanish Fort ; gayban_06: view of San Pedro in
distance; babocomari_1, 2 show this complex drainage at this point.
(Two other of these Spanish forts were built: one at Quiburi,
another at “Victoria” in the north, the place of the Northern Chief
described by Kino et al. The location of Quiburi: not sure, 2 or 3 sites, 3
or so miles from here have been identified. Kino called it “Santa Cruz de
Quiburi”, wanted to build a church here, never got the money.)
[Iron Horse Road leads to Santa Cruz de Terrenate:
Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate:
this the sign at the entry; in 1775, the Spanish built a substantial
military fort here, overlooking the banks of the San Pedro River -workers were sent and directed to built a fort on the European model,
which proved a total waste of effort since the Apaches simply waited
them out and killed many on several different occasions. (see
terrenate_01 for the account of the four occasions between 1776 and
1780, when the fort was abandoned, when soldiers were killed -- 29, 27,
39, and one captain.)
Di Peso thought the houses inside the walls were older Sobaipuri,
but we now think these were early buildings constructed by the workers
before they built up the walls.
See terrenate_map for overall outline; terrenate_02 for San Pedro
riverbottom (and railroad tracks); _03, _04, near the chapel; _06 shows
low adobe walls -- adobe blocks sandwiched with layers of mortar; (I
regret I didn’t photograph the base of the surrounding walls, which were
high -- and based with a two-foot-wide rock plate -- imported from
elsewhere, flat rocks. A lot of effort and labor.) _07 -- views of the whole
site from the upper “Bastion” (the only one actually built), which was
supposed to contain a cannon that would fire down on attacking troops.
The Apaches however never tried frontal attacks.