New Perspectives on the Rock Art and Prehistoric Settlement Organization of Tumamoc Hill, Tucson, Arizona [No. 208]

Abstract

Excerpt from Preface: Tumamoc Hill, the prominent, flat-topped, black volcanic hill just west of the Santa Cruz River near downtown Tucson, Arizona, has been revealing its secrets for decades. This hill, the most prominent of the cerro de trincheras in the Tucson Basin, continues to teach us about the long temporal range and complexity of prehistoric life in the Tucson area. A cerro de trincheras is generally defined as a hill with linear stone walls, usually near the summit, as well as other stone features such as bedrock mortars, stone-ringed structures, trails, and frequently rock art. The three papers published here present new data on Cienega-phase and Tortolita-phase village organization in a hilltop community, the universe of rock art found on the hill, and petroglyphs that seem likely to be functioning as solar markers. The research on which the first paper is based began in the 1980s and continued through the excavation of the community structure in 2008. The rock art recording effort was conducted between 2006 and 2009. The solar marker research grew out of the rock art recording project.