2002-83
Pumpkin Fire Heritage Inventory and Monitoring, FY 2002
Heritage Resources Report
Chalender and Peaks Ranger Districts
Kaibab and Coconino National Forests, Arizona
By
Calla McNamee
Archaeologist
Abstract
This document reports the findings and accomplishments for the Pumpkin Fire heritage inventory and monitoring during fiscal year 2002. In 2002, 1100 acres were intensively surveyed, resulting in the discovery of seven new heritage resource sites and eight isolated occurrences. Because the fire resulted in the removal of fuels from the forest floor – allowing for greater visibility of heritage resources – all 1100 acres of surveyed ground are considered newly surveyed terrain. Six of the seven newly recorded properties remain unevaluated for the National Register. One site, AR-03-07-02-1880, is eligible under Criterion D. This site contains a pithouse and structure and is likely to yield important information about the prehistory of the area. During the 2002 inventory, 42 heritage resource sites were monitored to assess post-fire effects. Of these, seven sites were stabilized to prevent erosion, sheetwashing, or damage from the natural falling of dead trees. Eight sites on the north side of KendrickMountain were re-recorded, including a more detailed inventory of artifacts and site mapping using a Trimble YTK and total station. There was increased visibility of surface artifacts and structure configuration on these sites due to the combustion of overlaying fuels during the Pumpkin Fire. This is not a clearance report, but a summary of findings and accomplishments for the Pumpkin Inventory during the 2002 fiscal year. It complements the work conducted during the 2001 field season, which is detailed in Pumpkin Inventory 2001 (Sorrell and McNamee 01-84).
Introduction
From mid-April through July 2002, several members of the Heritage Team from the KaibabNational Forest conducted archaeological survey and site monitoring within and around the Pumpkin Fire burn area – on both the Kaibab and CoconinoNational Forests. In 2002, 1100 acres were intensively surveyed, resulting in the discovery of seven new heritage resource sites and eight isolated occurrences. Because the fire resulted in the removal of fuels from the forest floor – allowing for greater visibility of heritage resources – all 1100 acres of surveyed ground are considered newly surveyed terrain. Additionally, 42 heritage resource sites were monitored to assess post-fire effects. Of these, seven sites were stabilized to prevent erosion, sheetwashing, or damage from the natural falling of dead trees. Because of the increased visibility of surface artifacts and other archaeological manifestations, nine previously recorded sites on the north-side of KendrickMountain were re-recorded, including a more detailed inventory of artifacts and site mapping using a Trimble YTK and total station. This report summarizes findings and accomplishments for fiscal year 2002.
The Survey
Heritage survey was conducted from mid-April through July 2002 in the following areas: T23N, R5E, Sections 1-3,5,8-12,15; T24N, R5E, Sections 23-26,34-36; T23N, R6E, section 6, and T24N, R6E, 29-32 (G&SRM, see attached maps). The survey was intensive, with surveyors spaced no more than 20 m (66 feet) apart. Survey was usually conducted by walking compass-oriented, progressive parallel transects. Where the terrain was especially rugged, however, coverage was achieved by walking contours along slopes or along the tops of narrow ridges. By these strategies, 1100 acres of terrain were surveyed.
The survey team included, variably, Kaibab Zone Archaeologist Neil Weintraub, Archaeologists Calla McNamee, Travis Bone, and Daniel Sorrell, and Archaeological Technicians Mike Lyndon and Liz Lane. The team recorded seven heritage resource sites and eight isolated occurrences (see attached maps).
Heritage Resources
KaibabNational Forest
Site #AR-03-07-02 / Site Description
w/ artifact concentrations in ( ) / Size (m) / Eligibility
1879 / 15-20 biface thinning flakes, one corner-notched projectile point / 10 x 10 / Unevaluated
1880 / Cohonina site, w/ pithouse, masonry outline, 30+ sherds, and 15+ flakes / 20 x 30 / Eligible
CoconinoNational Forest
Site #AR-03-04-03 / Site Description
w/ artifact concentrations in ( ) / Size (m) / Eligibility
1106 / 80-100 GovernmentMountain obsidian flakes / 20 x 20 / Unevaluated
1107 / Excavation pits, obsidian nodules, and a possible shrine / 100 x 30 / Unevaluated
1108 / Cohonina artifact scatter, w/ 80+ sherds, and 50+ flakes / 30 x 20 / Unevaluated
1109 / Cohonina artifact scatter, w/ 30+ sherds, 20+flakes, and 1 basalt mano fragment / 30 x 30 / Unevaluated
1110 / Archaic lithic scatter, 400-500 flakes, two Elko corner notched points, a biface tip, and a biface knife fragment / 40 x 40 / Unevaluated
Isolated Occurrences
IO 1: 1 cairn, approx 2m high, no artifacts were located at site
IO 2: 18 –25 flakes of Government Mountain Obsidian
IO 3: 1 basalt mano fragment, 2 flakes
IO 4: 15-20 flakes, 1 biface fragment
IO 5: Pot drop of Tusayan Corrugated (10-15 sherds), w/ 1 obsidian flake
IO 6: Fire ring, 7 milk cans, 2 food cans. Ca 1950, lard pale, vick’s jar
IO 7: Gold diggers pit, approx 5X3m, and 2 m deep.
IO 8: Small diffuse scatter, with approximately 15 sherds, both Tusayan Corrugated and
TusayanGrayPlain
Inventory and Stabilization
Stabilization of threatened sites was considered a top priority for the 2002 field season. In the early spring, archaeologists revisited sites that had been in areas of high burn intensity, as well as those that were located in areas that were at high risk for erosion. Monitoring forms, which documented both site condition and stabilization needs, were completed at each site. A summary is contained in Table 1.
Table 1: 2002 Monitored Sites
KaibabNational Forest
Site #(AR-03-07-02-) / Date Monitored / Condition / Management Needs
610 / 7/10/02 / Poor / Trestle is located across a significant drainage and is being destroyed by erosion. Stabilization is not feasible
611 / 7/10/02 / Excellent / None
612 / 7/10/02 / Good / None
613 / 7/10/2002 / Good / Re-mapping of site to incorporate new features and proximity to sites –614, -616, –617, -619 and -621
614 / 4/24/2002 / Good / Re-mapping of site to incorporate new features and proximity to sites –613, -616, –617, 619 and -621
615 / 7/10/2002 / Not a site.
616 / 7/10/2002 / Good / Re-mapping of site to incorporate new features and proximity to sites –613, -614, –617, -619 and –621.
617 / 4/24/2002 / Fair / Re-mapping of site to incorporate new features and proximity to sites –613, -614, –616,–619 and -621. Reduce sheet washing of plaza from side drainage.
618 / 7/10/2002 / Good / None
619 / 7/102002 / Fair / Re-mapping of site to incorporate new features and proximity to sites –613, -614, –616, –617 and -621. Section of terrace is being destroyed by main drainage. Stabilization is not feasible.
620 / 7/10/2002 / Fair / Evidence of old pot hunting.
621 / 7/10/2002 / Good / Re-mapping of site to incorporate new features and proximity to sites –613, -614, –616, –617, -619, and -621
622 / 7/10/2002 / Good / None
623 / 7/10/2002 / Good / None
675 / 5/22/2002 / Poor / Half of structure was destroyed by erosion. Site has since been covered with sediment. No stabilization needed at this time.
679 / Good / None
680 / 4/24/2002 / Fair / Reduce sheetwashing across the site.
681 / 4/24/2002 / Good / None
682 / 4/24/2002 / Fair / Thinning of burnt trees to promote site stabilization
683 / 5/13/2002 / Excellent / None
843 / 6/4/2002 / Good / None
950 / 4/24/2002 / Good / None
951 / 4/24/2002 / Good / None
1764 / 4/24/2002 / Fair / Thinning of burnt trees to promote site stabilization
1765 / 4/24/2002 / Fair / Thinning of burnt trees to promote site stabilization
1808 / 4/24/2002 / Fair / Thinning of burnt trees to promote site stabilization
1814 / 5/15/2002 / Fair / Burnt trees should be thinned from site. However, site is located in the wilderness, so rehab is prohibited.
1823 / 5/15/2002 / Good / None
1824 / 5/1/2002 / Fair / Thinning of burnt trees to promote site stabilization
1826 / 7/10/2002 / Good / None
CoconinoNational Forest
Site #(AR-03-04-03) / Date Monitored / Condition / Management Needs
298 / 6/24/02 / Good / None
771 / 4/22/02 / Poor / Site completely covered in sediment. No stabilization needed at this time.
812 / 6/24/02 / Good / None
814 / 6/26/2002 / Good / None
815 / 6/26/2002 / Good / None
817 / 4/24/2002 / Fair / None
818 / 4/24/2002 / Good / None
819 / 4/24/2002 / Good / Reduce sheetwashing across site
822 / 4/22/2002 / Good / None
842 / 4/22/2002 / Excellent / None
848 / 7/12/2002 / Excellent / None
844 / 4/22/2002 / Good / None
1102 / 6/24/02 / Good / None
Sites AR-03-07-02-617, -680, -682, -1764, -1765, 1808, and AR-03-04-03-819 were chosen for stabilization efforts, based on the perceived threat and the feasibility for stabilization. Through the monitoring assessments, erosion, sheetwashing, and the uprooting of dead trees were considered the greatest threats to site stability. To protect sites from erosion and sheetwashing, water was diverted using straw waddles and hand constructed ditches. In areas where the surface had been exposed through sheetwashing, archaeologists raked pine needles across the area in an effort to stabilize the surface and slow water flow. On many sites, the greatest threat was the future uprooting of dead trees. These sites had been burned over intensively and the trees growing in and around structures were no longer living. In order to protect the structures and the site integrity, it was determined that the dead trees needed to be removed from these sites. The tree removal required certified sawyers to fell the trees and crew support to help remove the bucked trees from the site.
Resources for these stabilization activities were acquired through a variety of means and involved a great deal of interagency cooperation. Straw waddles were provided by the Forest Service’s program responsible for Kendrick Watershed Stabilization; while sawyers and manual laborers were provided by several crews staged on the KaibabNational Forest during the 2002 severe fire threat. The willingness of the Kaibab’s Fire organization to allow these crews to work for archaeology was greatly appreciated. The Navajo Scouts fire crew, who helped in our efforts for four days, completed the majority of thinning work. Kaibab archaeologists benefited not only from the manpower provided by these crews, but from the opportunity to discuss with them the importance of heritage resources.
Straw waddles were used to reduce sheetwashing and erosion on sites AR-03-07-02-617 and AR-03-04-03-819. Site –617 is located on flat terrain with an ephemeral drainage running to the east of the structure. The main plaza of the site was being impacted by sheetwashing from overflow of the small drainage. There was extensive movement of surface artifacts and possible disturbance to one of the plaza walls. The waddles were placed along the west side of the drainage to prevent overflow and additional sheetwashing (photo 1). Site –819 is located on an alluvial fan. Multiple channels had formed upslope of the site, causing erosion. Waddles and ditches were placed approximately 30 meters upslope of the structure to divert the water away from the site and into a side drainage (photo 2). Mild erosion was occurring on Site AR-03-07-02-680, which is also located on an alluvial fan. Ephemeral channels had removed surface cover upslope and across the site. Archaeologists attempted to stabilize the surface by raking duff across exposed areas.
Photo 1: Site AR-03-07-02-0617: straw waddle protecting main structure from sheetwashing.
Photo 2: Site AR-03-04-03-819: straw waddles diverting water off of the hillslope.
Burned trees were felled and removed from sites AR-03-07-02-682, -1764, -1765, and –1808.
These trees were killed by intense fire activity during the Pumpkin Fire and would have fallen within the next several years. Many of the trees were growing out of structures, near structure walls, or in areas of high artifact density (photo 3). They were considered a threat to the integrity of the archaeological sites, since they could uproot if allowed to fall naturally.
Photo 3: Site AR-03-07-02-1764: two burned trees growing out of locus A.
Approximately 140 trees were removed from the four sites. Sites –1764, -1765, and –1808 were all thinned with the help of the Navajo Scouts and the Youth Conservation Corp (photo 4) over the course of three days in early June. Site –682 was thinned by Archaeologist Travis Bone and Fuels Specialist Brandon Sheehan. The dead trees were felled and bucked. Most of the wood was removed from the site boundary; however several pieces of bucked wood were left to prevent erosion and control for sheetwashing.
Photo 4: Site AR-03-07-02-1764: Felling of big snag in locus A by Navajo Scouts.
Thinning of these sites not only removed dead trees, but had a positive effect on stabilization. Site –1764, which required the most thinning, with approximately 70 trees removed from the site, had extensive re-growth of vegetation after the summer monsoons. There was no growth over the site in 2001, despite widespread growth in the surrounding area. It appears that the loosening of the sediments on the site promoted the growth of disturbance vegetation such as Cheno-am (photo 5).
Photo 5: Site AR-03-07-02-1764: re-growth of vegetation
Re-recording of Sites on the North Side of KendrickMountain
During the site monitoring after the Pumpkin Fire, it became apparent that the original recording of many sites was inaccurate. Specifically, sites AR-03-07-02-613, - 614, -615, -616,
-617, -618, –619 and –621, located on the north side of Kendrick Mountain on the needed to be reevaluated.* The fire had removed duff cover from the sites both exposing additional features and revealing that some structures were actually natural outcrops. Site boundaries, which had been marked in white paint when the sites were originally recorded (Cartledge 1982), were also found to be inaccurate. The original marked boundaries were found to overlap for sites –613, -614, and -615, and to exclude newly exposed features. The sites were also incorrectly plotted in GIS and needed to have GPS plots taken.
Kaibab archaeologists decided that these sites needed to be re-recorded, both mapped and inventoried, to properly manage them. An accurate and detailed map was considered essential to determine the relationship between features and to establish the number of sites and the site boundaries. The Engineering division of the Coconino and KaibabNational Forests assisted Kaibab archaeologists in mapping the features, using a Trimble YTK and a total station. The Trimble YTK was recently purchased by the Coconino, Kaibab, and PrescottNational Forests for use in surveying, and provides accuracy of +/- 1cm. Since the YTK does not operate well in areas with forest cover, a total station was also used. The resulting map will display the relationship of features through a non-site approach* . An inventory of the ceramic and lithic assemblage for all sites was also conducted. This inventory verified the contemporaneous occupation of the sites.
Based on the resulting map and the inventory, it is proposed that the area was a functioning community prehistorically. However, for management purposes the features have been divided into five sites, AR-03-07-02-616, -617, -618, -619, and –621*. Site –621 incorporates sites –613, -614, and -621. It was determined that site –615 is not a site. The structure recorded in 1982 is a rock outcrop and the obsidian is naturally broken. Terry Cleeland, who revisited the site in 1990, came to the same site determination, which was documented on the site card.
Summary
During fiscal year 2002, a total of 1100 acres were surveyed for the Pumpkin Fire Inventory. Seven heritage resource sites and eight isolated occurrences were located. No projects are currently planned for any of the project area. If projects are proposed in the future, the significance of these sites will be evaluated, and the appropriate protective measures taken. This is not a clearance report, but a summary of findings and accomplishment for the Pumpkin Inventory during the 2002 fiscal year. It complements the work conducted during the 2001 field season, which is detailed in Pumpkin Inventory 2001 (Sorrell and McNamee 01-84).
* Budget constraints arising as a result of Congress’ failure to approve of an appropriations bill for FY 2003 have caused the production of these maps to be delayed. They will be submitted as an addendum to this report upon their completion.
References
Cartledge
1982Basin T.S., A Cultural Resource Survey. Ms. on file, Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office, Williams, AZ. (Report # 82049).
Sorrell, Daniel and Calla McNamee
2001Pumpkin Inventory, 2001, A Cultural Resource Survey. Ms. on file, Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office, Williams, AZ. (Report # 01084).