Las Capas

Information

Las Capas (AZ AA:12:111) is an Early Agricultural period (see B. Huckell 1995) site covering approximately 50 hectares in area, located on an ancient floodplain of the Santa Cruz River on the northwestern outskirts of Tucson, AZ (Mabry 2008). Survey and excavations at the site have recovered evidence of occupation by hunting and gathering peoples dating as early as 4800 B.P. By 4100 B.P. maize remains appear in the deposits associated with habitation features, pits, middens, burials and many other features. By about 3200 B.P. people began building irrigation canals on the floodplain (Mabry 2008:9-25). So far, more carbonized maize remains have been directly dated from this site than any other site in the Americas (Mabry 2008:55-58; Diehl 2005).

ID Other ID Type Subtype Uncal BP (years) ± 1 σ (years) Median cal BP (years) Lower cal BP (years) Upper cal BP (years) δ13C Contaminated?
178 Beta-140050 MacroSample unknown 2690 30 2789 2850 2752 No
162 Beta-129426 MacroSample unknown 2880 40 3012 3158 2879 No
163 Beta-129427 MacroSample unknown 2849 50 2968 3158 2846 No
164 Beta-119631 MacroSample unknown 2820 50 2928 3072 2792 No
96 Beta-148408 MacroSample unknown 3060 40 3284 3375 3162 No
100 Beta-133893 MacroSample kernel 2650 40 2767 2849 2731 No
184 Beta-133897 MacroSample unknown 2500 40 2581 2740 2367 No
172 Beta-140058 MacroSample unknown 2740 40 2831 2925 2759 No
150 Beta-145108 MacroSample unknown 3060 40 3284 3375 3162 No
173 Beta-140057 MacroSample unknown 2740 30 2826 2921 2765 No
174 Beta-118150 MacroSample unknown 2730 50 2828 2945 2753 No
151 Beta-140055 MacroSample unknown 3020 30 3284 3375 3162 No
152 Beta-140054 MacroSample unknown 3000 30 3200 3324 3078 No
153 Beta-140064 MacroSample unknown 2970 30 3151 3260 3006 No
154 Beta-145107 MacroSample unknown 2960 40 3134 3317 2991 No
155 Beta-140063 MacroSample unknown 2960 40 3134 3317 2991 No
156 Beta-148407 MacroSample unknown 2940 40 3105 3240 2963 No
157 Beta-148405 MacroSample unknown 2940 40 3105 3240 2963 No
158 Beta-145105 MacroSample unknown 2940 40 3105 3240 2963 No
159 Beta-119633 MacroSample unknown 2930 40 3090 3215 2958 No
160 Beta-118416 MacroSample unknown 2930 50 3090 3256 2930 No
168 Beta-133898 MacroSample unknown 2770 40 2865 2958 2777 No
169 Beta-133894 MacroSample unknown 2760 60 2861 2998 2754 No
170 Beta-119630 MacroSample unknown 2750 50 2846 2955 2759 No
171 Beta-140051 MacroSample unknown 2750 40 2841 2946 2765 No
175 Beta-140056 MacroSample unknown 2730 60 2834 2957 2748 No
176 Beta-133890 MacroSample unknown 2710 40 2811 2917 2750 No
177 Beta-140060 MacroSample unknown 2710 50 2816 2925 2746 No
179 Beta-140053 MacroSample unknown 2690 50 2802 2920 2740 No
180 Beta-133892 MacroSample unknown 2670 40 2780 2853 2742 No
181 Beta-119634 MacroSample unknown 2660 40 2774 2850 2739 No
182 Beta-140061 MacroSample unknown 2630 40 2755 2845 2624 No
183 Beta-119632 MacroSample unknown 2550 40 2628 2755 2489 No
161 Beta-140062 MacroSample unknown 2920 30 3068 3205 2963 No
165 Beta-123450 MacroSample unknown 2810 70 2925 3141 2764 No
166 Beta-140059 MacroSample unknown 2780 40 2878 2968 2778 No
167 Beta-133891 MacroSample unknown 2770 40 2865 2958 2777 No
83 Beta-148409 MacroSample kernel 3670 40 4003 4144 3888 No
101 Beta-140052 MacroSample kernel 2530 40 2605 2748 2473 No

Attached Files

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References Cited

Diehl, M. W.
    2005    Morphological observations on recently recovered early agricultural period maize cob fragments from southern Arizona. American Antiquity 70(2):361-375.

Hesse, S. J. and M. S. Foster (editors)
    2005    Investigation of Middle Archaic and Early Agricultural Period Components at Las Capas: The Treatment Plant Locus (Draft). Cultural Resources Report 05-165. SWCA, Inc., Tucson.

Mabry, J. B.
    1998    Introduction. In Archaeological Investigations of Early Village Sites in the Middle Santa Cruz Valley: Analyses and Synthesis, Part I, edited by J. B. Mabry, pp. 1-29. Anthropological Papers No. 19.  Center for Desert Archaeology, Tucson.

Mabry, J. B.
    2005    Diversity in early Southwestern farming and optimization models of transitions to agriculture. In Subsistence and Resource Use Strategies of Early Agricultural Communities in Southern Arizona, edited by M. W. Diehl, pp. 115-152. Anthropological Papers, No. 34. Center for Desert Archaeology, Tucson.

Mabry, J. B. (editor)
    2008    Las Capas: Early Irrigation and Sedentism in a Southwestern Floodplain. Anthropological Papers No. 28. Center for Desert Archaeology, Tucson.

Whittlesey, S. M., S. J. Hesse and M. S. Foster (editors)
    2009    Recurrent Sedentism and the Making of Place. SWCA Environmental Consultants, Tucson.