La Villa Data Recovery

Hohokam village structure revealed beneath downtown Phoenix streets

Desert Archaeology had two opportunities to excavate at the Hohokam village of La Villa prior to the construction of storm drains in downtown Phoenix by the City of Phoenix. City streets defined the areas investigated. The linear nature of the project provided an opportunity to study a cross section of one of the largest pre-Classic Hohokam villages in the Phoenix Basin, from its beginning as a plaza-oriented village in the sixth century until its abandonment in the eleventh century. The project revealed information related to the timing and structure of settlement at La Villa, the productive pursuits of its inhabitants, and the areas of continuity and change between intervals of occupation. Large samples of the nearly 500 features identified were excavated.