Gaye,
I am attaching pdf files that describe two parks in Pima County and the
City of Tucson, Arizona, that each feature archaeological ruins
incorporated into usable outdoor areas. (If the pdfs don't come through on
HISTARCH readers can contact me for copies.) The cultural resources in
both of these parks are primarily prehistoric rather than historical:
(1) Los Morteros Conservation Area (Pima County): Los Morteros is one of
the largest Hohokam archaeological sites in southern Arizona. occupied
between about A.D. 850 and 1300, it is considered an ancestral site by
members of the Tohono O’odham and Hopi tribes. Los Morteros also is a
significant historic locus that provided the setting for important events
in the history of the Tucson Basin and southern Arizona. For example, in
1775 the Spanish expedition of Juan Bautista de Anza passed through the
area, making a major encampment called the “Llano del Azotado” campsite
along the nearby Santa Cruz River. This area is part of the Juan Bautista
de Anza Trail identified by the U.S. National Park Service as a National
Historic Trail. Pima County is currently developing segments of the trail
for public use. In 1858, the Butterfield Stage Station known as “Point of
the Mountains” or “Pointer Mountain” was established at Los Morteros,
(2) Vista del Rio Cultural Resource Park (City of Tucson): This park
preserves part
of the Vista del Rio Hohokam village archaeological site that was occupied
between A.D. 700 and 1200. The City has built a paved trail through the
site and erected several interpretive signs.
The Town of Marana, Arizona, is taking steps to preserve significant
features of the Yuma Wash prehistoric Hohokam village site (inhabited
between A.D. 750 and 1450) and the Bojórquez-Aguirre Ranch historic
Mexican-American site (established in 1878, abandoned sometime after
1910) in Marana’s Cortaro-Silverbell District Park alongside the Santa
Cruz River. Approximately 10 percent of the portion of the Yuma Wash site
that is within the park was excavated by Old Pueblo Archaeology Center in
2001-2005 to elicit and interpret some of the prehistoric heritage of
Marana. The remaining 90 percent of the prehistoric site that is within
the park will be preserved in place. The district park also will preserve
and provide interpretation for stabilized architectural features of the
Bojórquez and Aguirre ranches. Trails with interpretive signs, and
possibly some replicas of prehistoric pit-structures, will be included in
Marana's site conservation area.
Also: Not exactly an urban park, but check out these sources about the
Romero Ruins in Catalina State Park in Oro Valley, Arizona:
http://www.cdarc.org/pdf/ait/arch-tuc-v11-no4.pdf
http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/Romero_Ruins_Trail_8520.asp
http://www.desertusa.com/azcatalina/azcatalina.html
http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/2008/04/07/81582-romero-ruins-tell-the-story-of-hohokam/
Although most of these websites focus on the prehistoric ruins at the
Romero Ruins site, prominent archaeological features include the ruins of
the Romero family's 1860s-1870s ranch buildings, and there are
interpretive signs about them along the paved trail that winds through the
ruins and the buildings themselves. More information can be found in the
following sources:
Elson, Mark D., and William H. Doelle
1987 Archaeological Survey in Catalina State Park with a Focus on the
Romero Ruin. Technical Report 87-4. Institute for American Research, Tucson.
Roubicek, D., E. Cummings, and G. Hartmann
1973 A Reconnaissance and Preliminary Evaluation of the Archaeology of
Rancho Romero. Archaeological Series No. 24. Arizona State Museum,
University of Arizona, Tucson.
Swartz, Deborah L.
1991 Archaeological Testing at the Romero Ruin. Technical Report No.
91-2. Center for Desert Archaeology, Tucson.
Swartz, Deborah L.
1993 Archaeological Testing at the Romero Ruin: Part 2. Technical Report
No. 93-8. Center for Desert Archaeology, Tucson.
Swartz, Deborah L., and William H. Doelle
1996 Archaeology in the Mountain Shadows: Exploring the Romero Ruin.
Center for Desert Archaeology, Tucson.
Allen Dart, RPA, Executive Director
Old Pueblo Archaeology Center
PO Box 40577
Tucson AZ 85717-0577 USA
520-798-1201 office, 520-798-1966 fax
Email: [log in to unmask]
URL: www.oldpueblo.org
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On Fri, October 15, 2010 1:15 am, Gaye Nayton wrote:
Hi all
I am looking for any examples of historic ruins being incorporated into a
useable outdoor area and would like to hear of any examples. The context
is
a former cottage with remnant limestone walls, some to full height, in an
area that could be a pocket park or landscaped area.
Examples will need to show how safety issues are addressed, good
interpretation, access management etc. Thank you
Gaye Nayton
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