Arizona Archaeological Society

Home

About Us

Chapters

Activities

Publications

Events

Links

Northern Chapters

| Central Chapters | Southern Chapters

| Chapter Manual etc.

Agave House (Heber) | Desert Foothills (Cave Creek) | Rim Country (Payson) | Yavapai (Prescott)

Drone Overview Goat Camp

3D Goat Camp

GOAT CAMP EXCAVATION SPRING 2023

Hey Goat Campers!

First, thanks to everybody who showed up to work yesterday, all 20 of you! Biggest crew day we've had in many years and we got a lot of work done! Great way to close out the Spring field season. But now that we've had our sumptuous repast, it's time to do the washing up... And that's just what we're gonna do this Saturday and Sunday, June 3 & 4; wash artifacts. Maybe we'll get to do some sorting, but there's a lot to get washed. I expect we'll need another weekend later in June to get it all squared away for the season. So, we will work from 0900 to 1500 both days.

We work in the garage at my house so you won't be out in the sun and we'll keep the fan running and all the doors open. Bring whatever you want for food and drink and prepare to get wet. Some people like dishwashing gloves because we do add vinegar to the water to help dissolve the dirt and caliche. It smalls like working in the worlds most tedious salad bar...

There is limited seating and some limitation in equipment so please let me know as soon as possible if you want to join us. As always please let me know if you plan to join us. Stay tuned for specific notices before each field or lab day.

Lab: June 3 & 4 & ??

Cheers and stay safe,

Scott

Scott Wood, retired Tonto archaeologist and Rim Country Adviser, leads the excavations at Goat Camp.

Goat Camp Tentative Fall Schedule--6 sessions, as follows, all Saturdays:

9/23

10/7

10/28

11/11

11/25

12/9

Online from April 10, 2022 “Goat Camp Virtual Field Trip” with archaeologist J. Scott Wood sponsored by Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society (AAHS), Tucson

Online from June 17, 2021 “The Goat Camp Ruin Project Volunteer Archaeology in Central Arizona” with J. Scott Wood for Old Pueblo Archaeology Center

AAS Goat Camp Tour Sept. 17, 2022

Goat Camp Ruin is located in Payson and was occupied from about 750 to 1280 AD. The site was originally a Hohokam colony that continued to be occupied through the Classic Period. The Classic Period occupation is called "Payson Tradition" or "Northern Salado". After several changes in ownership and extensive pot-hunting, the city of Payson took over ownership of the site. The Rim Country Chapter, with Scott Wood’s assistance, proposed creating an archaeological interpretive site as well as a hiking trail for this 6-acre parcel of land, similar to that of nearby Shoofly Ruin. Scott has led groups of volunteers each spring and fall for the past few years excavating and interpreting areas within the overall complex. The goal is not rebuilding or total excavation, but knowledge and public education through an interpretive package. Shoofly excavation reports are at the bottom of the Rim Chapter webpage.