SELECTED PROJECT ABSTRACTS

Archaeological projects that require an intense effort working against tight construction deadlines are our specialty. Whether the project area is in an isolated rural locality or in the middle of a large city, Northland provides our clients with fast, efficient, and quality work. The following outlines recent projects that illustrate our ability to provide excellent work on the types of projects most likely to be required by cultural resource management projects. SURVEYS City of Phoenix Sonoran Desert Preserve This Class III cultural resource survey consisted of a records search and a pedestrian survey of approximately 824 acres for the City of Phoenix and the Arizona State Land Department. Six new archeological sites were recorded during the survey; one previously recorded site was relocated and its records were updated. Three sites were recommended as potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). No unforeseen problems were encountered during the performance of the work, which was completed ahead of time and within budget.           Archaeological Survey of Portions of Sections 28 and 29 Township 5 North, Range 3 East, Phoenix Sonoran Desert Preserve, by James W. Cogswell, Mark R. Hackbarth, and John T. Marshall. 2001. PGM Project No. 2001-2. Technical Report No. 01-27. Northland Research, Inc., Tempe.           Point of contact: Mr. Todd Bostwick, Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. Washington, Phoenix, AZ; (602) 495-0901. The Ak-Chin Village Survey Northland performed a Class III records search and pedestrian survey of 483 acres in and around Ak-Chin Village, within the Ak-Chin Indian Reservation. The survey was conducted at the request of the Ak-Chin Indian Community's Cultural Resources Department. Nineteen archaeological sites-fifteen historical, two prehistoric, and two mixed historical/prehistoric-were recorded. Three sites had been previously recorded. All sites were recommended as potentially NRHP-eligible. No unanticipated problems were encountered during the project, which was completed on-time and on-budget.           Cultural Resource Survey of Ak-Chin Village, Pinal County, Arizona, by David R. Hart, Mark R. Hackbarth, and Douglas B. Craig. 2001. Technical Report 00-86. Northland Research, Inc., Tempe.           Point of contact: Mr. Jon Schumaker, Ak-Chin Indian Community, 47685 N. Eco Museum Rd., Maricopa, AZ 85239; (602) 254-3575. The Tartesso Survey Northland conducted a Class III records search and pedestrian survey of 3,300 acres of land between the White Tank Mountains and the Hassayampa River. This project was conducted for the Stardust Charitable Fund, an Arizona non-profit corporation. Twenty-two sites, all dating to the historical period, were identified and recorded as a result of the survey; twelve were recommended as potentially eligible for the NRHP. No unforeseen problems were encountered during the performance of the work, which was completed on-time and within budget.           Tartesso: An Archaeological Survey of 3,300 Acres between the White Tank Mountains and the Hassayampa River near Buckeye, Arizona, by John T. Marshall. 1999. Technical Report 99-12. Northland Research, Inc., Tempe.           Point of contact: Mr. Robert Spiers, Stardust Development, 6730 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85253; (480) 607-5800. ON-CALL SERVICES On-call Archaeological Services, City of Phoenix, City Wide This on-going project includes monitoring, test excavations, and/or data recovery for city-sponsored activities within the City. To date, over 50 projects have been completed, which have included archaeological investigations for the Civic Plaza East Parking Garage, Cesar Chavez Golf Course, Esteban Park, and the Jefferson Street Parking Garage as well as several archaeological surveys. Point of contact: Mr. Todd Bostwick, Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. Washington, Phoenix, AZ; (602) 495-0901. On-call Archaeological Services, City of Phoenix, Neighborhood Services Department To date, this on-going project has entailed monitoring, test excavations, and/or data recovery for street and lot improvements within the Garfield Neighborhood area. Over 50 separate projects have been accomplished to date and involved the examination of historical and prehistoric canals located during the monitoring waterlines, sidewalk improvements, and other small construction projects. The archaeological data obtained by these projects will be integrated to inform on general research topics developed in an overarching data recovery plan designed for this work. Point of contact: Mr. Todd Bostwick, Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. Washington, Phoenix, AZ; (602) 495-0901. ARCHAEOLOGICAL TESTING AND DATA RECOVERY Veres Site/AM Ranch Mitigation Northland recently completed data recovery investigations at the Veres site, a prehistoric village located on Cave Creek in northern Phoenix. During eight weeks of fieldwork, Northland exposed nearly four acres of the site by mechanical excavation and excavated 17 pit houses and 40 extramural features. Foremost among the preliminary findings is that the Veres site represents a continuous occupation spanning the Hohokam late pre-Classic to early Classic period (ca. A.D. 1000-1250). More than 25,000 artifacts were recovered; the report is in the final stages of preparation. Points of contact: Richard Perry, Environmental Planning Services, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325, (213) 452-3855; Len Pritchard, PK Investments, 32648 N. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331, (480) 595-2160. Palo Verde Ruin Mitigation Northland completed field investigations in 1998 at the Palo Verde Ruin prior to construction of a housing development along the bank of the New River. Mechanical excavation at the site involved 11 acres of the project area and identified 14 spatially discrete residential areas, a ballcourt, and communal roasting areas. Over 60 houses were intensively examined and another 40 houses were tested or recorded. Results show the site was occupied for only a short period of time (A.D. 800-1050), beginning as a collection of small farmsteads before it became a formally structured village. This project was the largest privately funded archaeological investigation in the northern periphery of the Phoenix Basin to date. Points of Contact:  Steven Dibble, Environmental Planning Services, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325, (213) 452-3849; Ricardo Sabella, Richfield Investment Corporation, 10001 Westheimer, Suite 2888, Houston, TX 77042, (713) 975-6288. The Grewe Archaeological Research Project This project began in November 1995 and fieldwork for the final phase was completed in May 1997. Douglas Craig, Project Principal Investigator, investigated portions of the Grewe, Horvath, and Casa Grande Ruins sites, located just east of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Over 250 pithouses were examined at Grewe, as well as numerous other features such as a ballcourt, canals, and hornos. Portions of four adobe-walled compounds were investigated at the Horvath and Casa Grande sites, along with segments of 11 prehistoric canals. The project was characterized by numerous project redesigns and modifications. Northland responded quickly and efficiently to the Arizona Department of Transportation's changing needs. "Your company has done a great job with the report." - Judy Brunson-Hadley, BCRS, Ltd.           The Grewe Archaeological Research Project, volumes 1, 2, and 3, edited by Douglas B. Craig and David R. Abbott. 2001. Anthropological Papers No. 99-1. Northland Research, Inc., Tempe.           Point of Contact:  Mr. Owen Lindauer, Environmental Planning Services, Arizona Department of Transportation, 205 South 17th Avenue, Room 240E, Phoenix, AZ 85007; (602) 712-8636. City of Phoenix Original Townsite, Blocks 13, 15, and 16 (Heritage Square) This project consisted of a testing and data recovery program for portions of the original Phoenix townsite and the Hohokam site of Pueblo Patricio for the City of Phoenix Heritage Square Cultural Projects. The project was conducted in two phases: the first phase (testing) was accomplished in 1989; the second phase (data recovery) was completed in April 1994. The data recovery fieldwork had to be phased to accommodate construction schedules and parking needs. Large tracts of asphalt had to be removed prior to excavation, as did concrete bumpers, lights, landscaping, and sidewalks. In addition to fieldwork, Northland ran an intensive public education program entitled, "RUIN YOUR DAY." This program consisted of onsite tours, a lecture series ("Ruin Your Lunch Break"), and a public information booklet (Layers of History). This program was the winner of the 1995 Governors' Award in Historic Preservation, Education Division. All phases of this project were completed within schedule and under the proposed budget. The final reports for Heritage Square were well received: "The report reflects a massive and exhaustive effort, and I think Northland, Mark Hackbarth, and all those involved are to be congratulated for doing an excellent and thought-provoking job … in my opinion, the City of Phoenix has gotten a high quality product from this project."- Pat Stein, SWCA, Inc. "I found this report to be outstanding. It is well written, edited and organized. I can state without hesitation that I am pleased with the quality of research and reporting exhibited in this report." - Todd Bostwick, City of Phoenix.           The Historic Archaeology of Heritage Square, by Mark R. Hackbarth. 1995. Pueblo Grande Museum Anthropological Papers No. 2. Pueblo Grande Museum, Phoenix.           The Prehistoric Archaeology of Heritage Square, by T. Kathleen Henderson. 1995. Pueblo Grande Museum Anthropological Papers No. 3. Pueblo Grande Museum, Phoenix. Layers of History, The Archaeology of Heritage Square, by Tobi Taylor and Johna Hutira. 1995. Northland Research, Inc. and the City of Phoenix. Point of Contact:  Mr. Todd Bostwick, Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85034; (602) 495-0901. Bureau of Land Management-Smithsonian Institution Harquahala Mountain Solar Observatory Survey This project involved a Class III pedestrian survey of the Harquahala Solar Observatory site, which was established in 1920, and the pack-trail route linking what is now US Highway 60 with the observatory. In addition to the observatory and the trail, three previously recorded sites related to the trail and a previously unrecorded mining camp were investigated. This survey supported a nomination of the area to the National Register of Historic Places as the Harquahala Mountain National Register District, which was performed by Northland.           Cultural Resource Survey of the Harquahala Peak Smithsonian Solar Observatory Pack Trail, La Paz and Maricopa Counties, Arizona, by Mark R. Hackbarth. 1995. Northland Research, Inc., Tempe.           Point of Contact:  Ms. Cheryl Blanchard, Bureau of Land Management, BLM Phoenix Field Office, 2015 West Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027. Butterfield Stage Route Archaeological Survey Northland surveyed the 23-mile section of the historical Butterfield Stage Overland Route between Gila Bend and Mobile, Arizona. Six archaeological sites were recorded, and the occurrence and type of historical artifacts discarded along the trail in relation to water supplies, distance traveled, and natural features provided significant information on the behavior of stage travelers along the route.           Archaeological Survey of the Butterfield Stage Overland Route, Gila Bend to Mobile, Maricopa County, Arizona, by Mark R. Hackbarth. 1995. Northland Research, Inc., Tempe.           Point of Contact:  Ms. Cheryl Blanchard, Bureau of Land Management, BLM Phoenix Field Office, 2015 West Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027.

Contact Us

Staff

Services

Background

Publications

Clients

Why NRI?