Digging Our Way Through Arizona
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Presentation and Q&A
Government and Commerce in the Original Phoenix Townsite: Archaeology and History of Development on Blocks 22 and 23 of the OPT
Archival and archaeological investigations of two city blocks in downtown Phoenix examined the remains of commercial and civic buildings. Evidence for 3 sequential generations of buildings documented the growth and development within the Original Phoenix Townsite from 1871-1975. Despite extensive disturbance in some areas, multiple well-preserved foundations, basements, privies, and other archaeological deposits provided information about the impact of national economic conditions on Phoenix.
Mark Hackbarth’s interest in archaeology began at age 5 when his parents stopped to read every historical marker along highways between California and Wisconsin. While studying for his BA from the University of Arizona in 1976 and MA from the University of Arkansas in 1980 he worked in Arkansas, Colorado, England, Illinois, Missouri, and South Dakota. His first job after graduate school was for the CIA (😊as in the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs). Afterwards he worked in Illinois before returning to Arizona where he has worked ever since October 1982 at Hohokam, Archaic, and historic sites. His research focus is historical archaeology with special interest in urban and mining sites. He retired on April Fool’s Day 2022 (so appropriate because he maintains a part-time Senior Archaeologist position with Logan Simpson Design).
"Munguia"
"Munguía" was produced for the descendants of Don Tomás Munguía at the 2022 Arizona Site Stewards Conference. The film was supported by Arizona State Parks, State Historic Preservation Office, and the Bureau of Land Management Tucson. In 2005, preservation archaeologist Jacquie Dale, submitted the Munguía homestead to the Arizona Site Steward program for protection and monitoring. 17 years later, filmmaker and site steward Kiersten Dunbar Chace, visits the Munguía site to monitor and document the home and learns of Munguía's rich Arizona ancestry, dating back to the 18th century.
Kiersten Dunbar Chace is a human rights activist/advocate and an award-winning indie film producer and director with Mondé World Films. For 27 years, she focused her camera lens on South Africa and produced two feature length documentary films within 10 years. Kiersten has won international film awards and her films are in approximately 75 universities worldwide.
Monica Dunbar Smith retired as Associate Chief Deputy Commissioner from the California Parole Board in 2001 after a 38-year career in criminal justice working for both California State and local government. During her career she was appointed to the UNICOR Board (inmate job training program) a program of the Federal Prison Industries; the California Youth Authority Board and California Council on Criminal Justice. She has an MPA from California State University at Los Angeles. Monica has been a Board Member of Tucson Presidio Trust for Historic Preservation for approximately twelve years and actively participates in "La Gente" dressed in period costume. Her interest in Arizona’s cultural and historic past stems from her family ties that date back to the 1752 Spanish Military at Tubac Presidio. She is a ninth-generation descendant of Soldado Cristóbal Ortega, who traveled to Pimería Alta with Juan Bautista de Anza. Monica is also the great granddaughter of pioneer AZ Territorial Legislator, Thomas Dunbar, who was involved in the establishment of Cochise County in 1881; and who served as postmaster and stage stop owner at Tres Alamos, north of present-day Benson. Her community service activity includes serving on the Board of Los Descendientes del Presidio de Tucson. She was elected the first female President of the Mexican American Correctional Association in 1980.
Jacquie Dale is a former Preservation Archaeologist for Archaeology Southwest in Tucson and was Regional Coordinator of the Lower and Middle San Pedro regions for the Arizona Site Steward program. In addition to working as an archaeologist in Arizona for 10 years, she has done fieldwork in British Columbia, Yukon territory, Britain, Belize, Peru, and France. She has a Masters from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver B.C. She has a strong interest in site preservation and public outreach in archaeology. Jacquie now lives in Nova Scotia, Canada but still frequently visits the southwestern U.S.
Archaeology at Apex, Arizona
Archaeological investigations at the Apex logging camp (1928-1936) in Summer 2022 revealed the intersections of federal policies, like Prohibition, local contexts, such as the importance of the Grand Canyon Railway, and personal stories of the camp's residents through the artifacts, features, and landscapes still remaining at the site. Simultaneously, tours of the site revealed the importance of engaging any and all publics with Arizona's more recent history. This talk will address our recent findings of all aspects of our Summer program, as well as look forward to plans for the Summer 2023 season.
Emily Dale is a historical archaeologist and Associate Teaching Professor at Northern Arizona University. She specializes in the 1800s and 1900s American West, with a focus on laborer identity. Her graduate work focused on Chinese immigrants in Nevada and California, and she currently runs an archaeological field school and public archaeology program at Apex, Arizona, which you will learn about at her talk!
PHOTOS: Mark Hackbarth, Kiersten Dunbar Chace, Monica Dunbar Smith, Jacquie Dale, and Emily Dale
