Trails, Rock Features and Homesteading in the Gila Bend Area: A Report on the State Route 85, Gila Bend to Buckeye Archaeological Project

Based on archaeological investigations along State Route 85, this fourth installment in the Gila River Indian Community Anthropological Research Papers provides a close look at the subtle interface between the archaeological cultures of the western Hohokam and eastern Patayan, including chapters on geomorphology, ceramics, lithics, shell, pollen, and ethnobotanical remains. An abundance of well-preserved trails and historical roads, including the Anza and Butterfield Trails, also provides the foundation for historical overviews and incisive theoretical discussion. This unique collaboration between ASU’s Office of Cultural Resource Management and the Gila River Indian Community’s Cultural Resource Management Program also provides an unusual account of Depression-era African American homesteading at the Warner Goode Ranch based on oral history, archival research, and archaeological data. Historic transportation corridors, homesteads, and prehistoric occupations on trails traversing cultural and geographic transitions make this a coherent and engaging view of this centuries-old crossroads and a valuable reference for the archaeology and history of the Gila Bend.