Cultural Resources Monitoring for the Houston Mesa Road

Purpose

Following a 2023 archaeological survey and archaeological assessment for the current project, Desert Archaeology recommended archaeological monitoring for four sites likely to be impacted by shoulder widening and safety improvements within the Houston Mesa Road right of way. Desert Archaeology served as a subcontractor to Kimley-Horn on this project.

Actions

• Monitoring of all ground-disturbing activities within the project area

Results

• Assessing 60.3 total acres comprising 4.5 miles of right-of-way and associated staging areas

• Monitored sites include precontact artifact scatters dating to the Central Arizona Tradition (CE 1070-1280) or earlier, and an in-use corral built in 1971.

• No previously unrecorded subsurface cultural deposits were identified.

• No further archaeological work was required.

• Because cultural materials and archaeological features remain visible on the ground outside the area impacted by this construction project, we recommended that potential impacts to sites be evaluated ahead of future ground-disturbing activities within the right of way.